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THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


Colonel  W.  F.  Cody  and  Colonel  Henry  Inman. 


THE 


GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


BY 


COLOXEL  HENRY  INMAN 

LATE   ASSISTANT   QUARTERMASTER,   UXITED  STATES   ARMY 
AUTHOR   OF   "the   OLD   SAXTA   FE  TRAIL,"    ETC. 

AND 

COLOXEL  WILLIAM  F.  CODY 

"Buffalo  Bill" 

late  chief  of  scouts 


imi0Ht^i^^- 


CRANE  &  COMPANY 

1914 


All  rights  reserved 


PRESERVATfON^ 
COPY  ADDED 


lOAN  STACK 


Copyright  1898, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Assigned,  1899, 

TO 

CKANE  &  COMPANY, 

TOPEKA. 


Iprcfls  of  Crane  S  aompanie, 

TOPEKA. 


'■/)i9S' 


PREFACE 

There  are  seven  historic  trails  crossing  the  great  plains 
of  the  interior  of  the  continent,  all  of  wliich  for  a  por- 
tion of  their  distance  traverse  the  geographical  limits  of 
what  is  now  the  prosperous  commonwealth  of  Kansas. 

None  of  these  primitive  highways,  however,  with  the 
exception  of  that  oldest  of  all  to  far-off  Santa  Fe,  has  a 
more  stirring  story  than  that  known  as  the  Salt  Lake 
Trail. 

Over  this  historical  highway  the  Mormons  made  their 
lonely  Hegira  to  the  valley  of  that  vast  inland  sea.  On 
its  shores  they  established  a  city,  marvellous  in  its  con- 
ception, and  a  monument  to  the  ability  of  man  to  over- 
come almost  insuperable  obstacles  —  the  product  of  a 
faith  equal  to  that  which  inspired  the  crusader  to  battle 
to  the  death  for  the  possession  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 

Over  this  route,  also,  were  made  those  w^orld-renowned 
expeditions  by  Fremont,  Stansbury,  Lander,  and  others 
of  lesser  fame,  to  the  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
beyond,  to  the  blue  shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

Over  the  same  trackless  waste  the  Pony  Express  exe- 
cuted those  marvellous  feats  in  annihilating  distance,  and 
the  once  famous  Overland  Stage  lumbered  along  through 
the  seemingly  interminable  desert  of  sage-brush  and 
alkali  dust  —  av ant-courier e%  of  the  telegraph  and  the 
railroad. 


Vi  PREFACE 

One  of  the  collaborators  of  this  volume,  Colonel  W.  F. 
Cody  ("  Buffalo  Bill "),  began  his  remarkable  career,  as 
a  boy,  on  the  Salt  Lake  Trail,  and  laid  the  foundations 
of  a  life  which  has  made  him  a  conspicuous  American 
figure  at  the  close  of  this  century. 

It  is  not  the  intention  of  the  authors  of  this  work  to 
deal  in  the  slightest  manner  with  Mormonism  as  a  re- 
ligion. An  immense  mass  of  literature  on  the  subject  is 
to  be  found  in  every  public  library,  both  in  its  defence 
and  in  its  condemnation.  The  latter  preponderates,  and 
often  seems  to  be  inspired  by  an  inexcusable  ingenuity  in 
exaggeration. 

Of  the  trials  of  the  Mormons  during  their  toilsome 
march  and  their  difficulties  with  the  government  during 
the  Civil  War,  this  work  will  treat  in  a  limited  way,  but 
its  scope  is  to  present  the  story  of  the  Trail  in  the  days 
long  before  the  building  of  a  railroad  was  believed  to  be 
possible.  It  will  deal  with  the  era  of  the  trapper,  the 
scout,  the  savage,  and  the  passage  of  emigrants  to  the 
gold  fields  of  California  —  when  the  only  route  was  by 
the  overland  trail  —  and  with  the  adventures  which 
marked  the  long  and  weary  march. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Preface •••¥ 

CHAPTER  I 

Proposed  Exploring  Expedition  across  the  Northern  Part  of  the 
Continent  in  1774  —  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie's  Expedition  — The 
Expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clarke  —  Hunt's  Tour  in  1810  —  March 
of  Robert  Stuart  eastwardly 1 

CHAPTER  II 

Captain  Ezekiel  Williams'  Expedition  to  the  Platte  Valley  in  1807 
— Character  of  the  Old  Trapper — The  Outfit  of  his  Men  —  Crosses 
the  River  —  Immense  Herds  of  Buffalo  —  Death  of  their  Favourite 
Hound  —  A  Lost  Trapper — A  Prairie  Burial  —  A  Wolf-chase 
after  a  Buffalo  —  An  Indian  Lochinvar  —  The  Crow  Indians  — 
Their  Country  —  Rose,  the  Scapegoat  Refugee  —  The  Lost  Trap- 
pers—  A  Battle  with  the  Savages 32 

CHAPTER  III 

General  W.  H.  Ashley's  Trapping  Expedition  — Jim  Beckwourth's 
Story  —  Two  Axe  —  Kill  Fourteen  Hundred  Buffaloes  —  The  Sur- 
round—  Expedition  is  divided  —  Boats  are  built  —  Green  River 
Suck  —  Indians  murder  Le  Braclie  —  Beckwourth  meets  Castenga      63 

CHAPTER  IV 

Captain  William  Sublette's  Expedition  in  1832 — They  meet  Nathaniel 
J.  Wyeth's  Party  —  Arrive  at  Green  River  Valley  —  Attacked  by 
Indians  —  Antoine  Godin  shoots  a  Blackfoot  Chief  —  Fight  be- 
tween Whites,  Flatheads,  and  Blackfeet  —  An  Indian  Heroine  — 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 


PAGB 


Major  Stephen  H.  Long's  Scientific  Expedition  in  1820  — Captain 
Bonneville's  Expedition  in  1832  —  Lieutenant  John  C.  FremoJit's 
Expedition  in  1842  to  the  Wind  River  Mountains         ...      81 


CHAPTER   V 

Trading-posts  of  the  Great  Fur  Companies  —  Fort  Vasquez  —  Fort 
Laramie  — Fort  Platte  —Fort  Bridger  —  Incidents  at  Fort  Platte 

A  Drunken  Spree  — Death  and  Burial  of  Susu-Ceicha  — Insult 

to  Big  Eagle  — Bull  Tail's  Effort  to  sell  his  Daughter  for  a  Bar- 
rel of  Whiskey  —  A  Rare  Instance  of  a  Trader's  Honour    . 


CHAPTER   VI 

The  Most  Desolate  of  Deserts  made  to  blossom  as  the  Rose  —  The 
Mormon  Hegira  — Pilgrims'  Outfit  —  Curious  Guide-posts  —  The 
Hand-cart  Expedition  —  Sufferings  and  Hardships  during  the 
Exodus  — An  Impending  War  — General  Harney's  Expedition 

Mormon  Tactics  —  Destroy  the  Supplies  —  Privations  of  the 

United  States  army  —  President  backs  down  —  Salt  Lake  City  — 
Brigham  Young's  Vision — The  Temple 


97 


110 


CHAPTER  VII 

Mountain  Meadows  Massacre  — Indians  attack  the  Wagons  — Lee 
offers  Protection  —  Ambushed  by  Lee  —  Lee  flies  to  the  Moun- 
tains—Mormon Church  acquitted  —  Execution  of  John  D.  Lee 

Temporary  Toll-bridges  —  Indian  Raids  on  Cattle  Ranches  — 

Stuttering  Brown  —  Graves  along  the  Trail 135 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Problem  of  the  Mails  between  Atlantic  and  Pacific  — The 
World-famed  Pony  Express  —  Necessity  for  it  —  Its  Originator  — 
The  Firm  of  Majors,  Russell,  &  Waddell  — The  Route  —  Organi- 
zation —  Its  Paraphernalia  —  Daring  Riders— J.  G.  Kelley's  Story 
—  Colonel  Cody's  Story  —  Incidents  and  Stories  — Old  Whipsaw 
and  Little  Cayuse,  the  Pawnee  —  Slade,  the  Desperado  —  The 
Lynching  of  Slade  —  Establishment  of  the  Telegraph  .        .        .163 


CONTENTS  IX 


CHAPTER   IX 


PAOB 


Discovery  of  Gold  near  Pike's  Peak  —  Exodus  from  Missouri  —  The 
Creation  of  the  Overland  Stage  Route  to  the  Pacific  Coast  — 
Messrs.  Russell  and  Jones'  Failure  —  Russell,  Majors,  &  Wad- 
dell's  Successful  Establishment  of  a  New  Line  —  Hockaday  and 
Liggett's  "One-horse"  Affair  —  Advent  of  the  First  Stage-coach 
into  Denver  —  Financial  Embarrassment  —  Ben  HoUiday  —  De- 
scription of  the  Outfit  of  the  Route  —  Incidents  and  Adventures    211 


CHAPTER  X 

Scenery  and  Historical  Localities  on  the  Route  of  the  Old  Trail  — 
Loup  Fork  —  De  Smet's  Account  of  a  Waterspout  —  Wood  River 
—  Brady's  Island  —  Ash  Hollow  —  Johnson's  Creek  —  Scott's 
Bluff  —  Independence  Rock  and  its  Legend  —  Chimney  Rock  — 
Crazy  Woman's  Creek  —  Laramie  Plains  —  Legends  and  Tradi- 
tions about  the  Great  Salt  Lake  —  Early  Surveys         .        .        .    225 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Salt  Lake  Trail  —  The  Otoes  —  I-e-tan  — 
Blue-Eyes  shot  by  I-e-tan  —  The  Pawnees  —  Their  Tribal  Mark 
—  Legends  and  Traditions  —  Human  Sacrifices  —  Folk-lore         .     257 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  Sioux  Nation  —  Cause  of  their  Hatred  for  the  Whites  —  A  Chief 
of  the  Brul6  Sioux  tells  a  Story  —  The  Scarred-Arms  —  Story  of 
the  Six  Sioux  and  the  Mysterious  Woman  —  The  Place  of  the 
Death  Song  —  Wa-shu-pa  and  Ogallalla  —  Indian  Fight  at  Ash 
Hollow — Indian  Tradition  of  a  Flood 278 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Crows  —  Council  at  Fort  Philip  Kearny  in  July,  1866  —  A-ra-poo- 
ash — Jim  Beckwourth  in  a  Fight  between  Crows  and  Blackfeet 
—  Beckwourth  and  the  Great  Medicine  Kettle  —  The  Missionary 
and  the  Crows  —  The  Legend  of  the  Blind  Men  —  The  Pis-kun   .     294 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   XIV 


PACK 


Folk-lore  of  Blackfeet  —  The  Lost  Children  — The  Wolf-Man  —The 
X;tes  —  Massacre  of  Major  Thornburgh's  Command  on  the  White 
River  — The  Great  Chief  Ouray  —  Fiutes  —  Their  Theories  of  the 
Heavens  —  The  Big  Medicine  Springs  —  Closed  Hand  —  Man 
afraid  of  his  Horses  —  No  Knife  —  Sitting  Bull  —  Spotted  Tail    .     809 

CHAPTER   XV 

Sioux  War  of  1863  — Spotted  Tail  — George  P,  Belden's  Accoimt 

—  Sergeants  Hiles  and  Eolla — Belden  and  Nelson  have  an  Ad- 
venture —  Belden  maps  the  Country-  —  Guarding  Ben  HoUiday's 
Coaches  —  An  Involuntary  Highwayman  —  Capturing  Sioux  at 
Gilman's  Kanch  —  Morrow's  Ranch  —  Bentz  and  Wise  —  At- 
tack on  tlie  Ambulance  —  Peace  Commission — Massacre  of 
Colonel  Petterman's  Command  at  Fort  Phil  Kearny         .        .     341 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Buffalo  Bill's  Adventures  on  the  Salt  Lake  Trail  — In  Charge  of  a 
Herd  of  Beef  Cattle  — Kills  an  Indian  — With  Lew  Simpson  — 
Held  up  —  Attacked  at  Cedar  Bluffs  — A  Brush  with  Sioux  — 
The  Print  of  a  Woman's  Shoe  — Capture  a  Village  — Buffalo 
Bill  shoots  Tall  Bull 382 

CHAPTER  XVII 

Buffalo  Bill's  Adventures  continued  —  Hunting  at  Fort  McPherson  — 
Indians  steal  his  Favourite  Pony  —  The  Chase  —  Scouting  under 
General  Duncan — Pawnee  Sentries  —  A  Deserted  Squaw  —  A 
Joke  on  McCarthy  —  Scouting  for  Captain  Meinhold  —  Texas 
Jack  —  Buckskin  Joe  —  Sitting  Bull  and  the  Indian  War  of  1876 

—  Massacre  of  Custer  and  his  "Command  —  Buffalo  Bill  takes 
the  First  Scalp  for  Custer  —  Yellow  Hand,  Son  of  Cut  Nose  — 
Carries  Despatches  for  Terry  —  Good-by  to  the  General      .        .     418 

CHAPTER   XVIII 

Around  the  Camp-fire  in  a  Trapper's  Bivouac  — Telling  Stories  of 
the  Old  Trail  — Old  Hatcher's  Trip  to  the  Infernal  Regions  — 
Colonel  Cody's  Story  of  California  Joe  — A  Practical  Joke        .    452 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER   XTX 

More  Stories  of  the  Trail  —  Frazier  and  tlie  Bear  —  An  Indian 
Elopement  —  The  Ogallallas  and  the  Biulfe  —  Chaf-fa-ly-a  —  Kit 
Carson  on  the  Yellowstone  —  Battle  with  the  Blackfeet  — 
Cai'son,  Bridger,  and  Baker  on  the  Platte  —  Jim  Cockrell  —  Peg 
Leg  Smith 477 


CHAPTER  XX 

The  Story  of  the  Building  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  —  Extract 
from  General  Sherman's  Memoirs  —  General  Dodge's  Description 
of  the  Country  when  he  first  saw  it  —  Explorations  for  a  Route 
—  Conference  with  President  Lincoln  —  Location  of  the  Military 
Post  of  D.  A.  Russell  and  the  Town  of  Cheyenne  —  Driving  the 
Last  Spike 504 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Colonel  Henry  Inman  and  Colonel  W.  F.  Cody       .       Frontispiece 
FULL-PAGE  PLATES  BY  F.  COLBURN  CLARKE. 

FACING  PAGE 

On  the  Shores  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake 40 

A  Mormon  Emigrant  Train 120 

The  Pony  Express 198 

Camping  on  the  Plattb 300 

"Broncho  Busting" 386 

A  Sioux  War-party         .         « 484 

On  the  Site  of  the  Old  Trail 508 

Map  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Trail  ......  389 

INITIALS  AND  TAILPIECES  BY  THOMPSON  WILLING. 

xiii 


THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


CHAPTER  I 

PKOPOSED  EXPLORIXG  EXPEDITION  ACROSS  THE  NORTHERN  PART 

OF  THE   CONTINENT    IN    177'1 SIR   ALEXANDER    MACKENZIE'S 

EXPEDITION THE     EXPEDITION    OF    LEWIS     AND     CLARKE 

hunt's     tour    in    1810 MARCH     OF     ROBERT     STUART     EAST- 
WARD LY 


S  early  as  a  hundred  and 
tliirty-five  years  ago,  shortly 
after  England  had  acquired 
the  Canadas,  Captain  Jona- 
than Carver,  who  had  been 
an  ofhcer  in  the  British  pro- 
vincial army,  conceived  the 
idea  of  fitting  out  an  expe- 
dition to  cross  the  continent 
between  the  forty-third 
5~^  and  forty-sixth  degrees  of 
north  latitude.  His  inten- 
tion was  to  measure  the 
breadth  of  North  America  at  its  widest 
part,  and  to  find  some  place  on  the  Pacific 
coast  where  his  government  might  establish  a  military 
post  to  facilitate  the  discovery  of  a  "  northwest  passage," 
or  a  line  of  communication  between  Hudson's  Bay  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean. 


2  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

In  1774  he  was  joined  in  his  proposed  scheme  by  Mr. 
Richard  Whitworth,  a  member  of  the  British  Parliament, 
and  a  man  of  great  wealth.  Their  plan  was  to  form  a 
company  of  fifty  or  sixty  men,  and  with  them  to  travel  up 
one  of  the  forks  of  the  Missouri  River,  explore  the  moun- 
tains, and  find  the  source  of  the  Oregon.  They  intended 
to  sail  down  that  stream  to  its  mouth,  erect  a  fort,  and 
build  vessels  to  enable  them  to  continue  their  discov- 
eries by  sea. 

Their  plan  was  sanctioned  by  the  English  government, 
but  the  breaking  out  of  the  American  Revolution  defeated 
the  bold  project.  This  was  the  first  attempt  to  explore 
the  wilds  of  the  interior  of  the  continent. 

Thirty  years  later  Sir  Alexander  Mackenzie  crossed  the 
continent  on  a  line  which  nearly  marks  the  fifty-third 
degree  of  north  latitude.  Some  time  afterwards,  when 
that  gentleman  published  the  memoirs  of  his  expedition, 
he  suggested  the  policy  of  opening  intercourse  between 
the  two  oceans.  By  this  means,  he  argued,  the  entire 
command  of  the  fur  trade  of  North  America  might  be 
obtained  from  latitude  forty-eight  north,  to  the  pole, 
excepting  in  that  territory  held  by  Russia.  He  also 
prophesied  that  the  relatively  few  American  adventurers 
who  had  been  enjoying  a  monopoly  in  trapping  along 
the  Northwest  Coast  would  instantly  disappear  before  a 
well-regulated  trade. 

The  government  of  the  United  States  was  attracted  by 
the  report  of  the  English  nobleman,  and  the  expedition 
of  Lewis  and  Clarke  was  fitted  out.  They  accomplished 
in  part  Avhat  had  been  projected  by  Carver  and  Whit- 
worth. They  learned  something  of  the  character  of  the 
region  heretofore  regarded  as  a  veritable  terra  incognita. 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1804,  the  expedition  of  Lewis  and 
Clarke  left  St.  Louis,  following  the  course  of  the  Missouri 
River,  and  returning  by  the  same  route  two  years  later. 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  3 

There  were  earlier  explorations,  far  to  the  south,  but  none 
of  them  reached  as  high  up  as  the  Platte.  Lewis  and 
Clarke  themselves  merely  viewed  its  mouth. 

In  1810  a  Mr.  Hunt,  Avho  was  employed  by  the  North- 
west Fur  Company,  and  Mr.  Donald  M'Kenzie,  with  a 
number  of  trappers  under  their  charge,  were  to  make  a 
journey  to  the  interior  of  the  continent,  but,  hampered 
by  the  opposition  of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  they 
were  compelled  to  abandon  the  enterprise,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  beginning  of  1812  that  their  historic  journey 
was  commenced. 

On  the  17th  of  January,  while  their  boats  landed  at  one 
of  the  old  villages  established  by  the  original  French 
colonists  of  the  region  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  they  met  the  celebrated  Daniel  Boone,  who 
was  then  in  his  eighty-fifth  year,  and  the  next  morning 
they  were  visited  by  John  Coulter,  who  had  been  with 
Lewis  and  Clarke  on  their  memorable  expedition  eight 
years  previously. ^  Since  the  return  of  Lewis  and  Clarke's 
expedition.  Coulter  had  made  a  wonderful  journey  on  his 
own  account.  He  floated  down  the  whole  length  of  the 
Missouri  River  in  a  small  canoe,  accomplishing  the  passage 
of  three  thousand  miles  in  a  month. 

On  the  8th  of  April  Hunt's  party  came  in  sight  of  Fort 
Osage,2  where  they  remained  for  three  days,  and  w^ere 
delightfully  entertained  by  the  officers  of  the  garrison. 
On  the  10th  they  again  embarked  and  ascended  the  Mis- 
souri. On  the  28th  the  party  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Platte  and  ate  their  breakfast  on  one  of  the  islands  tliere. 

1  This  John  Coulter  was  the  first  white  man  to  see  and  describe  the 
wonders  of  what  is  now  the  National  Park.  His  account,  however,  was 
received  as  a  frontier  lie,  and  the  truth  of  his  statements  were  not 
verified  until  long  after  the  hardy  adventurer's  death. 

-  Fort  Osage,  on  the  Missouri  River,  was  on  the  site  of  the  present 
town  of  Sibley,  where  the  Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa  F^  Railroad 
crosses  that  stream. 


4  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

After  passing  the  mouth  of  the  river  Platte,  they  camped 
on  its  banks  a  short  distance  above  Papillion  Creek.  On 
the  10th  of  May  they  reached  the  village  of  the  Omahas, 
camped  in  its  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  on  the  15th 
of  the  same  month  they  started  for  the  interior  of  the 
continent.  Their  route  lay  far  north  of  a  line  drawn  par- 
allel to  the  Platte  Valley,  but  they  entered  it  after  trav- 
elling through  the  Black  Hills,  somewhere  near  the 
headwaters  of  the  river  from  which  the  beautiful  valley 
takes  its  name.  After  untold  hardships  and  sufferings 
the  party  arrived  at  Astoria  on  the  following  February, 
having  travelled  a  distance  of  thirty-five  hundred  miles. 
They  had  taken  a  circuitous  route,  for  Astoria  is  only 
eighteen  hundred  miles,  in  a  direct  line,  from  St.  Louis. 

The  first  authentic  account  of  an  expedition  through 
the  valley  of  the  Platte  was  that  of  Mr.  Robert  Stuart, 
in  the  employ  of  John  Jacob  Astor.  He  was  detailed  to 
carry  despatches  from  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  to  New 
York,  informing  Mr.  Astor  of  the  condition  of  his  venture 
on  the  remote  shores  of  the  Pacific.  The  mission  en- 
trusted to  Mr.  Stuart  was  filled  with  perils,  and  he  was 
selected  for  the  dangerous  duty  on  account  of  his  nerve 
and  strength.  He  was  a  young  man,  and  although  he 
had  never  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains,  he  had  already 
given  proofs,  on  other  perilous  expeditions,  of  his  compe- 
tence for  the  new  duty.  His  companions  were  Ben  Jones 
and  John  Day,i  both  Kentuckians,  two  Canadians,  and 
some  others  who  had  become  tired  of  the  wild  life,  and 
had  determined  to  go  back  to  civilization. 

They  all  left  Astoria  on  the  29th  of  June,  1812,  and 
reached  the  headwaters  of  the  Platte,  thence  they  travelled 

1  John  Day  was  a  remarkable  man.  His  life  was  full  of  wonderful  ad- 
ventures. He  became  insane  while  on  this  expedition  of  Stuart's,  and  was 
sent  back  to  Astoria,  but  shortly  afterwards  he  died  there.  The  well- 
known  John  Dav's  River  was  so  called  in  his  honour. 


EXPLORING    EXPEDITIONS  O 

down  the  valley  to  its  mouth,  and  embarked  in  boats  for 
St.  Louis. 

When  they  reached  the  Snake  River  deserts,  great  sandy 
plains  stretched  out  before  them.  Only  occasionally  were 
there  intervales  of  grass,  and  the  miserable  herbage  was 
saltweed,  resembling  pennyroyal.  The  desponding  party 
looked  in  vain  for  some  relief  from  the  lifeless  landscajje. 
All  game  had  apparently  shunned  the  dreary,  sun-parched 
waste,  but  hunger  was  now  and  then  appeased  by  a  few 
fish  which  they  caught  in  the  streams,  or  some  sun-dried 
salmon,  or  a  dog  given  to  them  by  the  kind-hearted  Sho- 
sliones  whose  lodges  they  sometimes  came  across. 

At  last  the  party  tired  of  this  weary  route.  They 
determined  to  leave  the  banks  of  the  barren  Snake  River, 
so,  under  the  guidance  of  a  Mr.  Miller  who  had  previously 
trapped  in  that  region,  they  were  conducted  across  the 
mountains  and  out  of  the  country  of  the  dreaded  Black- 
feet.  Miller  soon  proved  a  poor  guide,  and  again  the 
party  became  bewildered  among  rugged  hills,  unknown 
streams,  and  the  burned  and  grassless  prairies. 

Finally  they  arrived  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  on  which 
their  guide  assured  them  he  had  trapped,  and  to  which 
they  gave  the  name  of  Miller,  but  it  was  really  the  Bear 
River  which  flows  into  Great  Salt  Lake.  They  continued 
along  its  banks  for  three  days,  subsisting  very  precariously 
on  fish. 

They  soon  discovered  that  they  were  in  a  dangerous 
region.  One  evening,  having  camped  rather  early  in  the 
afternoon,  they  took  their  fishing-tackle  and  prepared  to 
fish  for  their  supper.  When  they  returned  to  their  camp, 
they  were  surprised  to  see  a  number  of  savages  prowling 
round.  They  proved  to  be  Crows,  whose  chief  was  a 
giant,  very  dark,  and  looked  the  rogue  that  they  found 
him  to  be. 

He  ordered  some  of  his  warriors  to  return  to  their  camp- 


6  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

near  by,  and  bring  buffalo  meat  for  the  starving  wliito 
men.  Notwithstanding  the  apparent  kindness  of  this 
herculean  chief,  there  was  something  about  him  that  filled 
the  white  men  with  distrust.  Gradually  the  number  of 
his  warriors  increased  until  there  were  over  a  score  of  them 
in  camp.  They  began  to  be  inquisitive  and  troublesome, 
and  the  whites  felt  great  concern  for  their  horses,  each 
nian  keeping  a  close  watch  upon  the  movements  of  the 
Indians. 

As  no  unpleasant  demonstrations  had  been  made  by  the 
savages,  and  as  the  party  had  bought  all  the  buffalo  meat 
they  had  brought,  Mr.  Stuart  began  to  make  preparations 
in  the  morning  for  his  departure.  The  savages,  however, 
were  for  further  dealiugs  with  their  newly  found  pale 
friends,  and  above  everything  else  the}^  wanted  gunpowder, 
for  which  they  offered  to  trade  horses.  INIr.  Stuart  de- 
clined to  accommodate  them.  At  this  they  became  more 
impudent,  and  demanded  the  powder,  but  were  again 
refused. 

The  gigantic  chief  now  stepped  forward  with  an  impor- 
tant air,  and  slapping  himself  upon  the  breast,  he  gave  the 
men  to  understand  that  he  was  a  chief  of  great  power. 
He  said  that  it  was  customary  for  great  chiefs  to  exchange 
presents  when  they  met.  He  therefore  requested  Mr. 
Stuart  to  dismount  and  give  him  the  horse  he  was  riding, 
Mr.  Stuart  valued  the  animal  very  highly,  so  he  shook 
his  head  at  the  demand  of  the  savage.  Upon  this  the 
Indian  walked  up,  and  taking  hold  of  Mr.  Stuart,  began  to 
push  him  backward  and  forward  in  his  saddle,  as  if  to  im- 
press upon  him  that  he  was  in  his  power. 

Mr.  Stuart  preserved  his  temper  and  again  shook  his 
head  negatively.  The  chief  then  seized  the  bridle,  gave  it 
a  jerk  that  scared  the  horse,  and  nearly  brought  Mr. 
Stuart  to  the  ground.  Mr.  Stuart  immediately  drew  his 
pistol  and  presented  it  at  the  head  of  the  impudent  savage. 


EXPLORING    EXPEDITIONS  7 

Instantly  his  bullying  ended,  and  lie  dodged  behind  the 
horse  to  get  away  from  the  intended  shot.  As  the  rest  of 
the  Crow  warriors  were  looking  on  at  the  movement  of 
their  chief,  Mr.  Stuart  ordered  his  men  to  level  their  rifles 
at  them,  but  not  to  fire.  Upon  this  demonstration  the 
whole  band  incontinently  fled,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight. 

The  chief,  finding  himself  alone,  with  true  savage  dissim- 
ulation began  to  laugh,  and  pretended  the  whole  affair 
Avas  intended  only  as  a  joke.  Mr.  Stuart  did  not  relish 
this  kind  of  joking,  but  it  would  not  do  to  provoke  a 
quarrel;  so  he  joined  the  chief  in  his  laugh  with  the  best 
grace  he  could  affect,  and  to  pacify  the  savage  for  his 
failure  to  procure  the  horse,  gave  him  some  powder,  and 
they  parted  professedly  the  best  of  friends. 

It  was  discovered,  after  the  savage  had  cleared  out,  that 
they  had  managed  to  steal  nearly  all  the  cooking  utensils 
of  the  party. 

To  avoid  meeting  the  savages  again,  Mr.  Stuart  changed 
his  route  farther  to  the  north,  leaving  Bear  River,  and 
following  a  large  branch  of  that  stream  which  came 
down  from  the  mountains.  After  marching  twenty-five 
miles  from  the  scene  of  their  meeting  with  the  Crows, 
they  camped,  and  that  night  hobbled  all  their  animals. 
They  preserved  a  strict  guard,  and  every  man  slept  with 
his  rifle  on  his  arm,  as  they  suspected  the  savages  might 
attempt  to  stampede  their  horses. 

Next  day  their  course  continued  northward,  and  soon 
their  trail  began  to  ascend  the  hills,  from  the  top  of  which 
they  had  an  extended  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 
Not  the  sign  of  an  Indian  was  to  be  seen,  but  they  did  not 
feel  secure  and  kept  a  very  vigilant  watch  upon  every 
ravine  and  defile  as  they  approached  it.  Making  twenty- 
one  miles  that  day,  they  encamped  on  the  bank  of  another 
stream  still  running  north.  While  there  an  alarm  of 
Indians  was  given,  and  instantly  every  man  was  on  his 


8  THE   GKEAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

feet  with  rifle  ready  to  sell  his  life  only  at  the  greatest 
cost.  Indians  there  were,  but  they  proved  to  be  three 
miserable  Snakes,  who  were  no  sooner  informed  that  a  band 
of  Crows  were  in  the  neighbourhood,  tlian  they  ran  off  in 
great  trepidation. 

Six  days  afterward  they  encamped  on  the  margin  of 
Mud  River,  nearly  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  where 
they  had  met  the  impudent  Crows.  Now  the  party  began 
to  believe  themselves  beyond  the  possibility  of  any  further 
trouble  from  them,  and  foolishly  relaxed  their  usual 
vigilance.  The  next  morning  they  were  up  at  the  first 
streak  of  day,  and  began  to  prepare  their  breakfast,  when 
suddenly  the  cry  of  "  Indians !  Indians !  to  arms !  to  arms !  " 
sounded  through  the  camp. 

In  a  few  moments  a  mounted  Crow  came  riding  past 
the  camp,  holding  in  his  hand  a  red  flag,  Avhich  he  waved 
in  a  furious  manner,  as  he  halted  on  the  top  of  a  small 
divide.  Immediately  a  most  diabolical  yell  broke  forth 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  camp  where  the  horses  were 
picketed,  and  a  band  of  paint-bedaubed  savages  came 
rushing  to  where  they  were  feeding.  In  a  moment  the 
animals  took  fright  and  dashed  towards  the  flag-bearer,  who 
vigorously  kicked  the  flanks  of  his  pony,  and  loped  off, 
followed  by  the  stampeded  animals  which  were  hurried  on 
by  the  increasing  yells  of  the  retreating  savages. 

When  the  alarm  was  first  given,  Mr.  Stuart's  men 
seized  their  rifles  and  tried  to  cut  off  the  Indians  who 
were  after  their  horses,  but  their  attention  was  suddenly 
attracted  by  the  yells  in  the  opposite  direction.  The 
savages,  as  they  supposed,  intended  to  make  a  raid  on 
their  camp  equipage,  and  they  all  turned  to  save  it.  But 
when  the  horses  had  been  secured  the  reserve  party  of 
savages  dashed  by  the  camp,  whooping  and  yelling  in 
triumph,  and  the  very  last  one  of  them  was  the  gigantic 
chief  who  had  tried  to  joke   with  Mr.    Stuart.     As  he 


EXPLOKING    EXPEDITIONS  9 

passed  the  latter,  he  checked  up  his  animal,  raised  himself 
in  the  saddle,  shouted  some  insults,  and  rode  on. 

The  rifle  of  one  of  the  men,  Ben  Jones,  was  instantl}' 
levelled  at  the  chief,  and  he  was  just  about  to  pull  the 
trigger,  when  Mr.  Stuart  exclaimed,  "Not  for  your  life! 
not  for  your  life,  you  will  bring  destruction  upon  us  all!  " 

It  was  a  difficult  matter  to  restrain  Ben,  when  the 
target  could  be  so  easily  pierced,  and  he  begged.  "  Oh, 
Mr.  Stuart,  only  let  me  have  one  crack  at  the  infernal 
rascal,  and  you  may  keep  all  the  pay  that  is  due  me." 

"  By  heavens,  if  you  fire,  I  will  blow  your  brains  out !  " 
exclaimed  Mr.  Stuart. 

By  that  time  the  chief  was  far  beyond  rifle  range,  and 
the  whole  daring  band  of  savages,  with  all  the  horses, 
were  passing  out  of  sight  over  the  hills,  their  red  flag 
still  waving  and  the  valley  eclioing  to  their  yells  and 
demoniacal  laugliter. 

The  unhorsed  travellers  were  dismayed  at  the  situation 
in  which  they  found  themselves.  A  long  journey  was 
still  before  them,  over  rocky  mountains  and  wind-swept 
plains,  which  they  must  now  painfully  traverse  on  foot, 
carrying  on  their  backs  everything  necessary  for  their 
subsistence. 

They  selected  from  their  camp  equipage  such  articles 
as  were  absolutely  necessary  for  their  journey,  and  those 
things  which  they  could  not  carry  were  cached.  It  re- 
quired a  Avhole  day  to  make  ready  for  their  wearisome 
march.  Next  morning  they  were  up  at  the  break  of  day. 
Tliey  had  set  a  beaver-trap  in  the  river  the  night  before, 
and  rejoiced  to  find  that  they  had  caught  one  of  the  ani- 
mals, which  served  as  a  meal  for  the  whole  party. 

On  his  way  back  with  the  prize,  the  man  who  had  gone 
for  it,  casually  looking  up  at  a  cliff  several  hundred  feet 
high,  saw  what  he  thought  were  a  couple  of  wolves  look- 
ing down  upon  him.      Paying  no  attention  to  them,  he 


10  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

walked  on  toward  camp,  when  happening  to  look  back,  he 
still  saw  the  watchful  eyes  peering  over  the  edge  of  the 
precipice.  It  now  flashed  upon  him  that  they  might  not 
be  wolves  at  all,  but  Indian  spies. 

On  reaching  camp  he  called  the  attention  of  Stuart  and 
his  companions  to  what  he  had  observed,  and  at  first  they 
too  entertained  the  idea  that  they  were  wolves,  but  soon 
satisfied  themselves  that  they  were  savages.  If  their  sur- 
mises were  true,  the  party  was  satisfied  that  the  where- 
abouts of  their  caches  were  known,  and  determined  that 
their  contents  should  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  sav- 
ages. So  they  were  opened,  and  everything  the  men 
could  not  carry  away  was  either  burned  or  thrown  into 
the  ri  /er. 

On  account  of  this  delay  they  were  not  able  to  leave 
the  place  until  about  ten  o'clock.  They  marched  along 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  made  but  eighteen  miles  in 
two  days,  when  they  were  obliged  to  stop  and  build  two 
rafts  with  which  to  cross  the  stream.  Discovering  that 
their  rafts  were  very  strong  and  able  to  withstand  the 
roughness  of  the  current,  instead  of  crossing,  they  floated 
on  down  the  river. 

For  three  days  they  kept  on,  stajang  only  to  camp  on 
land  at  night.  On  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  as  they 
approached  a  little  island,  much  to  their  joy  they  discov- 
ered a  herd  of  elk.  A  hunter  who  was  put  on  shore 
wounded  one,  which  immediately  took  to  the  water,  but 
being  too  weak  to  stem  the  current  it  was  overtaken  and 
drawn  ashore. 

As  a  storm  was  brewing,  they  camped  on  the  bank 
where  they  had  drawn  up  the  elk.  They  remained  there 
all  the  next  day,  protecting  themselves  as  best  they  could 
from  the  rain,  hail,  and  snow,  which  fell  heavily.  Now 
they  employed  themselves  by  drying  a  part  of  the  meat 
they  had  secured ;  and  when  cutting  up  the  carcass  of  the 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  11 

animal,  they  discovered  it  had  been  shot  at  by  hunters 
not  more  than  a  week  previously,  as  an  arrow-head  and  a 
musket-ball  were  still  in  the  wounds.  Under  other  cir- 
cumstances such  a  matter  would  have  been  resfarded  as 
trivial,  but  as  they  knew  the  Snake  Indians  had  no  guns, 
the  presence  of  the  bullet  indicated  that  the  elk  could  not 
have  been  wounded  by  one  of  them.  They  were  aware 
that  they  were  on  the  edge  of  the  Blackfeet  country,  and 
as  these  savages  were  supplied  with  firearms,  it  was  sur- 
mised that  some  of  that  hostile  tribe  must  have  been 
lately  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  idea  ended  the  peace 
of  mind  they  had  enjoyed  while  they  were  floating  down 
the  river. 

For  three  more  days  they  stuck  to  their  rafts  and 
drifted  slowly  down  the  stream,  until  they  had  reached  a 
point  which  in  their  judgment  was  about  a  hundred  miles 
from  where  they  embarked. 

The  lofty  mountains  having  now  dwindled  to  mere  hills, 
they  landed  and  prepared  to  continue  their  journey  on 
foot.  They  spent  a  day  making  moccasins,  packing  their 
meat  in  bundles  of  twenty  pounds  for  each  man  to  carry, 
then  leaving  the  river  they  marched  toward  the  northeast. 
It  was  a  slow,  wearisome  tramp,  as  a  part  of  the  way  lay 
through  the  bottoms  covered  with  cottonwood  and  wil- 
lows, and  over  rough  hills  and  rocky  prairies.  Some 
antelope  came  within  rifle  range,  but  they  dared  not  fire, 
fearing  the  report  would  betray  them  to  the  Blackfeet. 

That  day  they  came  upon  the  trail  of  a  horse,  and  in 
the  evening  halted  on  the  bank  of  a  small  stream  which 
had  evidently  been  an  Indian  camping-place  about  three 
weeks  ago. 

In  the  morning  when  ready  to  leave,  they  again  saw  the 
Indian  trail,  which  after  a  while  separated  in  every  direc- 
tion, showing  that  the  band  had  broken  up  into  small 
hunting-parties.      In    all    probability   the    savages   were 


12  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

still  somewhere  in  the  vicinity,  so  it  behooved  the  white 
men  to  move  with  the  greatest  caution.  The  utmost 
vigilance  Avas  exercised,  but  not  a  sign  was  seen,  and 
at  night  they  camped  in  a  deep  ravine  which  concealed 
them  from  the  level  of  the  surrounding  country. 

The  next  morning  at  daylight  the  march  was  resumed, 
but  before  they  came  out  of  the  ravine  on  to  the  level 
prairie  a  council  was  held  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursue. 
It  was  deemed  prudent  to  make  a  bee-line  across  the 
mountains,  over  which  the  trail  would  be  very  rugged 
and  difficult,  but  more  secure.  One  of  the  party  named 
M'Lellan,  a  bull-headed,  impatient  Scotchman,  who  had 
been  rendered  more  so  by  the  condition  of  his  feet  which 
were  terribly  swollen  and  sore,  swore  he  had  rather  face 
all  the  Blackfeet  in  the  country  than  attempt  the  tedious 
journey  over  the  mountains.  As  the  others  did  not  agree 
with  his  opinion,  they  all  began  to  climb  the  hills,  the 
younger  men  trying  to  see  who  would  reach  the  top  of 
the  divide  first.  M'Lellan,  who  was  double  the  age  of 
some  of  his  companions,  began  to  fall  in  the  rear  for  want 
of  breath.  It  was  his  turn  that  day  to  carry  the  old 
beaver-trap,  and  finding  himself  so  far  behind  the  others, 
he  suddenly  stopped  and  declared  he  would  carry  it  no 
farther,  at  the  same  time  throwing  it  as  far  down  the  hill 
as  he  could.  He  was  then  offered  a  package  of  dried 
meat  in  its  place,  but  this  in  Ins  rage  he  threw  upon  the 
ground,  asserting  that  those  might  carry  it  who  wanted 
it ;  he  could  secure  all  the  food  he  wanted  with  his  rifle. 
Then  turning  off  from  the  party  he  walked  along  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  letting  those,  he  said,  climb  rocks  who 
were  afraid  to  face  Indians.  Mr.  Stuart  and  all  his  com- 
panions attempted  to  impress  him  with  the  rashness  of  his 
conduct,  but  M'Lellan  was  deaf  to  every  remonstrance 
and  kept  on  the  way  he  had  determined  to  go. 

As  they  felt  they  were  now  in  a  dangerous  neighbour- 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  13 

hood,  and  did  not  dare  to  fire  a  rifle,  tliey  were  compelled 
to  depend  upon  the  old  beaver-trap  for  their  subsistence. 
The  stream  on  which  they  were  encamped  was  filled 
with  beaver  sign,  and  the  redoubtable  Ben  Jones  set  out 
at  daybreak  with  the  hope  of  catching  one  of  the  sleek 
fur  animals.  While  making  his  way  through  a  bunch  of 
willows  he  heard  a  crashing  sound  to  his  right,  and  look- 
ing in  that  direction,  saw  a  huge  grizzly  bear  coming 
toward  him  with  a  terrible  snort.  The  Kentuckian  was 
afraid  of  neither  man  nor  beast,  and  drawing  up  his  rifle, 
let  fly.  The  bear  was  wounded,  but  instead  of  rushing 
upon  his  foe  as  is  usually  the  case  with  a  wounded  grizzly, 
he  ran  back  into  the  thicket  and  thus  escaped. 

They  were  compelled  to  remain  some  days  at  this  camp, 
and  as  the  beaver-trap  failed  to  supply  them  with  food,  it 
became  absolutely  necessary  to  take  the  chances  of  dis- 
covery by  the  Indians,  in  order  to  live,  and  Ben  Jones 
was  permitted  to  make  a  tour  with  his  rifle  some  distance 
from  the  camp,  defying  both  bears  and  Blackfeet.  He 
had  not  been  absent  more  than  two  hours  when  he  came 
upon  a  herd  of  elk  and  killed  five  of  them.  When  he 
reported  his  good  news,  the  party  immediately  moved 
their  camp  to  the  carcasses,  about  six  miles  distant. 

After  marching  a  few  days  more,  hunger  again  re- 
turned, the  keenest  of  their  sufferings.  The  small  amount 
of  bear  and  elk  meat  which  they  had  been  able  to  carry  in 
addition  to  their  other  equipage  lasted  but  a  short  time, 
and  in  their  anxiety  to  get  ahead  they  had  little  time  to 
hunt.  As  scarcely  any  game  crossed  their  trail,  they 
lived  for  three  days  upon  nothing  but  a  small  duck  and  a 
few  miserable  fish.  They  saw  numbers  of  antelope,  but 
they  were  very  wild  and  they  succeeded  in  killing  only 
one.  It  was  poor  in  flesh  and  very  small,  but  they  lived 
on  it  for  several  days. 

After  a  while  they  came  across  the  trail  of  the  obstinate 


14  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

M'Lellan,  who  was  still  ahead  of  them,  and  had  encamped 
the  night  before  on  the  very  stream  where  they  now  were. 
They  saw  the  embers  of  the  fire  by  which  he  had  slept,  and 
remains  of  a  wolf  of  which  lie  had  eaten.  He  had  evi- 
dently fared  better  than  themselves  at  this  encampment, 
for  they  had  not  a  mouthful  to  eat.  The  next  day,  about 
noon,  they  arrived  at  the  prairies  where  the  headwaters  of 
the  stream  appeared  to  form,  and  where  the}"  expected  to 
find  buffalo  in  abundance.  Not  even  a  superannuated 
bull  was  to  be  seen  ;  the  whole  region  was  deserted. 
They  kept  on  for  several  miles  farther,  following  the  bank 
of  the  stream  and  eagerly  looking  for  beaver  sign.  Upon 
finding  some  they  camped,  and  Ben  Jones  set  his  trap. 
They  were  hardly  settled  in  camp  when  they  perceived 
a  large  column  of  smoke  rising  in  the  clear  air  some 
distance  to  the  southwest.  They  regarded  it  joyously, 
for  they  hoped  it  might  be  an  Indian  camp  where  they 
could  get  something  to  eat,  as  their  pangs  of  hunger  had 
now  overcome  their  dread  of  the  terrible  Blackfeet. 

Le  Clerc,  one  of  the  Canadians,  was  instantly  de- 
spatched by  Mr.  Stuart  to  reconnoitre;  and  the  travellers 
sat  up  till  a  late  hour,  watching  and  listening  for  his 
return,  hoping  he  might  bring  them  food.  Midnight 
arrived,  but  Le  Clerc  did  not  make  his  appearance,  and 
they  lay  down  once  more  supperless  to  sleep,  hoping  that 
their  old  beaver-trap  might  furnish  them  with  a  breakfast. 

At  daybreak  they  hastened,  eager  and  famishing,  to  the 
trap,  but  found  in  it  only  the  forepaw  of  a  beaver,  the  sight 
of  which  tantalized  their  hunger  and  added  to  their  de- 
jection. They  resumed  their  journey  with  flagging 
spirits,  but  had  not  gone  far  when  they  perceived  Le 
Clerc  approaching  at  a  distance.  They  hastened  to  meet 
him,  in  hope  of  tidings  of  good  cheer.  He  had  nothing 
to  give  them  but  news  of  that  strange  wanderer,  M'Lellan. 
The  smoke  had  arisen  from  his  encampment  which  took 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  15 

fire  while  he  was  fishing  at  some  little  distance  from  it.  Le 
Clerc  found  him  in  a  forlorn  condition.  His  fishing  had 
been  unsuccessful,  and  during  twelve  days  that  he  had 
been  wandering  alone  through  the  savage  mountains  he 
had  found  scarcely  anything  to  eat.  He  had  been  ill, 
sick  at  heart,  and  still  had  pressed  forward;  but  now  his 
strength  and  his  stubbornness  were  exhausted.  He  ex- 
pressed his  satisfaction  that  Mr.  Stuart  and  his  party 
were  near,  and  said  he  would  wait  at  his  camp  for  their 
arrival,  hoping  they  would  give  him  something  to  eat, 
for  without  food  he  declared  he  should  not  be  able  to 
go  much  farther. 

When  the  party  reached  the  place  they  found  the  poor 
fellow  lying  on  a  bunch  of  withered  grass,  wasted  to  a 
skeleton,  and  so  feeble  that  he  could  scarcely  raise  his 
head  or  speak.  The  presence  of  his  old  comrades  seemed 
to  revive  him;  but  they  had  no  food  to  give  him,  for 
they  themselves  v/ere  almost  starving.  They  urged  him 
to  rise  and  accompany  them,  but  he  shook  his  head.  It 
was  all  in  vain,  he  said;  there  was  no  prospect  of  their 
getting  speedy  relief,  and  without  it  he  would  perish  by 
the  way;  he  might  as  well,  therefore,  stay  and  die  where 
he  was.  At  length,  after  much  persuasion,  they  got  him 
upon  his  legs;  his  rifle  and  other  effects  were  shared 
among  them,  and  he  was  cheered  and  aided  forward.  In 
this  way  they  proceeded  for  seventeen  miles,  over  a  level 
plain  of  sand,  until,  seeing  a  few  antelopes  in  the  distance, 
they  camped  on  the  margin  of  a  small  stream.  All  now, 
that  were  capable  of  the  exertion,  turned  out  to  hunt  for 
a  meal.  Their  efforts  were  fruitless,  and  after  dark  they 
returned  to  their  camp  famished  almost  to  desperation. 

As  they  were  preparing  for  the  third  time  to  lie  down 
to  sleep  without  a  mouthful  of  food,  Le  Clerc,  one  of  the 
Canadians,  gaunt  and  wild  with  hunger,  approached  Mr. 
Stuart  with  his  gun  in  his  hand.     It  was  all  in  vain,  he 


16  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

said,  to  attempt  to  proceed  any  farther  without  food. 
They  had  a  barren  plain  before  tliem,  three  or  four  days' 
journey  in  extent,  on  which  nothing  was  to  be  procured. 
They  must  all  perish  before  they  could  get  to  the  end  of 
it.  It  was  better,  therefore,  that  one  should  die  to  save 
the  rest.  He  proposed,  therefore,  that  they  should  cast 
lots,  adding,  as  an  inducement  for  Mr.  Stuart  to  assent  to 
the  proposition,  that  he,  as  leader  of  the  party,  should  be 
exempted. 

Mr.  Stuart  shuddered  at  the  horrible  proposition,  and 
endeavoured  to  reason  with  the  man,  but  his  words 
were  unavailing.  At  length,  snatching  up  his  rifle,  he 
threatened  to  shoot  him  on  the  spot  if  he  persisted.  The 
famished  wretch  dropped  on  his  knees,  begged  pardon  in 
the  most  abject  terms,  and  promised  never  again  to  offend 
him  with  such  a  suggestion. 

Quiet  being  restored  to  the  forlorn  encampment,  each 
one  sought  repose.  Mr.  Stuart,  however,  was  so  exhausted 
by  the  agitation  of  the  past  scene,  acting  upon  his  ema- 
ciated frame,  that  he  could  scarcely  crawl  to  his  miserable 
bed,  where,  notwithstanding  his  fatigues,  he  passed  a 
sleepless  night,  reflecting  upon  their  dreary  situation  and 
the  desperate  prospect  before  them. 

At  daylight  the  next  morning  they  were  up  and  on 
their  way;  they  had  nothing  to  detain  them,  no  break- 
fast to  prepare,  and  to  linger  was  to  perish.  They  pro- 
ceeded, however,  but  slowly,  for  all  were  faint  and  weak. 
Here  and  there  they  passed  the  skulls  and  bones  of  buffa- 
loes. This  showed  that  these  animals  must  have  been 
hunted  there  during  the  past  season,  and  the  sight  of  the 
bones  served  only  to  mock  their  misery.  After  travel- 
ling about  nine  miles  along  the  plain,  they  ascended  a 
range  of  hills,  and  had  scarcely  gone  two  miles  farther, 
when,  to  their  great  joy,  they  discovered  a  superannuated 
buffalo  bull  which  had  been  driven  from  some  herd  and 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  17 

had  been  hunted  and  harassed  through  the  mountains. 
They  all  stretched  themselves  out  to  encompass  and  make 
sure  of  this  solitary  animal,  for  their  lives  depended  on 
their  success.  After  considerable  trouble  and  infinite 
anxiety,  they  at  length  succeeded  in  killing  him.  He 
was  instantly  flayed  and  cut  up,  and  so  ravenous  were 
they  that  they  devoured  some  of  the  flesh  raw. 

When  they  had  rested  they  proceeded,  and  after  cross- 
ing a  mountain  ridge,  and  traversing  a  plain,  they  waded 
one  of  the  branches  of  the  Spanish  River.  On  ascending 
its  bank,  they  met  about  a  hundred  and  thirty  Indians  of 
the  Snake  tribe.  They  were  friendly  in  their  demeanour, 
and  conducted  the  starving  trappers  to  their  village,  which 
Avas  about  three  miles  distant.  It  consisted  of  about  forty 
lodges,  constructed  principally  of  pine  branches.  The 
Snakes,  like  most  of  their  nation,  were  very  poor.  The 
marauding  Crows,  in  their  late  excursion  through  the 
country,  had  picked  this  unlucky  band  to  the  bone,  carry- 
ing off  their  liorses,  several  of  their  squaws,  and  most  of 
their  effects.  In  spite  of  their  poverty,  they  were  hospit- 
able in  the  extreme,  and  made  the  hungry  strangers  wel- 
come to  their  cabins.  A  few  trinkets  procured  from  them 
a  supply  of  buffalo  meat,  together  with  leather  for  mocca- 
sins, of  which  the  party  were  greatly  in  need.  The  most 
valuable  prize  obtained  from  them,  however,  was  a  horse. 
It  was  a  sorry  old  animal  in  truth,  and  it  was  the  only 
one  which  remained  to  the  poor  fellows,  after  the  fell 
swoop  of  the  Crows.  They  were  prevailed  upon  to  part 
with  it  to  their  guests  for  a  pistol,  an  axe,  a  knife,  and  a 
few  other  trifling  articles. 

By  sunrise  on  the  following  morning,  the  travellers  had 
loaded  their  old  horse  with  buffalo  meat,  sufficient  for  five 
days'  provisions,  and,  taking  leave  of  their  poor  but  hospit- 
able friends,  set  forth  in  somewhat  better  spirits,  though 
the  increasing  cold  weather  and  the  sight  of  the  snowy 


18  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

mountains  whicli  tliey  had  yet  to  traverse  Avere  enough 
to  chill  their  very  hearts.  The  country  along  the  branch 
of  the  river  as  far  as  they  could  see  was  perfectly  level, 
bounded  by  ranges  of  lofty  mountains,  both  east  and 
west.  They  proceeded  about  three  miles  south,  where 
they  came  again  upon  the  large  trail  of  the  Crow  Indians, 
which  they  had  crossed  four  days  previously.  It  was 
made,  no  doubt,  by  the  same  marauding  band  which  had 
plundered  the  Snakes;  and  which,  according  to  the  account 
of  the  latter,  was  now  camped  on  a  stream  to  the  eastward. 
The  trail  kept  on  to  the  southeast,  and  was  so  well  beaten 
by  horse  and  foot  that  they  supposed  at  least  a  hundred 
lodges  had  passed  along  it.  As  it  formed,  therefore,  a 
convenient  highway,  and  ran  in  a  proper  direction,  they 
turned  into  it,  and  determined  to  keep  it  as  long  as  safety 
would  permit,  as  the  Crow  encampment  must  be  some 
distance  off,  and  it  was  not  likely  those  savages  would 
return  upon  their  steps.  They  travelled  forward,  all  that 
day,  in  the  track  of  their  dangerous  predecessors,  which 
led  them  across  mountain  streams,  and  along  ridges, 
through  narrow  valleys,  all  tending  generally  to  the  south- 
east. The  wind  blew  cold  from  the  northeast,  with  occa- 
sional flurries  of  snow,  which  made  them  camp  early,  on 
the  sheltered  banks  of  a  brook.  In  the  evening  the  two 
Canadians,  Vallee  and  Le  Clerc,  killed  a  young  buffalo 
bull  which  was  in  good  condition  and  afforded  them  an 
excellent  supply  of  fresh  beef.  They  loaded  their  spits, 
therefore,  and  filled  their  camp  kettle  with  meat,  and 
while  the  wind  whistled  and  the  snow  whirled  around 
them,  they  huddled  round  a  rousing  fire,  basked  in  its 
warmth,  and  comforted  both  soul  and  body  with  a  hearty 
and  invigorating  meal.  No  enjoyments  have  greater  zest 
than  these,  snatched  in  the  very  midst  of  difficulty  and 
danger  ;  and  it  is  probable  the  poor  wayworn  and  weather- 
beaten  travellers  relished  these  creature  comforts  the  more 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  l9 

highly  on  account  of  the  surrounding  desolation  and  the 
dangerous  proximity  of  the  Crows. 

The  snow  which  had  fallen  in  the  night  made  it  late  in 
the  morning  before  the  party  loaded  their  solitary  pack- 
horse,  and  resumed  their  march.  They  had  not  gone  far 
before  the  trail  of  the  Crows,  which  they  were  following, 
changed  its  direction,  and  bore  to  the  north  of  east. 
They  had  already  begun  to  feel  themselves  on  dangerous 
ground,  in  travelling  it,  as  they  might  be  descried  by 
scouts  or  spies  of  that  race  of  Ishmaelites,  whose  predatory 
life  required  them  to  be  constantly  on  the  alert.  On  see- 
ing the  trail  turn  so  much  to  tlie  north,  therefore,  they 
abandoned  it,  and  kept  on  their  course  to  the  southeast 
for  eighteen  miles,  through  a  beautiful  undulating  country, 
having  the  main  chain  of  mountains  on  the  left,  and  a  con- 
siderable elevated  ridge  on  the  right. 

That  evening  they  encamped  on  the  banks  of  a  small 
stream,  in  the  open  prairie.  The  northeast  wind  was 
keen  and  cutting,  and  as  they  had  nothing  but  a  scanty 
growth  of  sage-brush  wherewith  to  make  a  fire,  they 
wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets  at  an  early  hour. 
In  the  course  of  the  evening  M'Lellan,  who  had  now  re- 
gained his  strength,  killed  a  buffalo,  but  it  was  some 
distance  from  the  camp,  and  they  postponed  supplying 
themselves  from  its  carcass  until  morning. 

The  next  day  the  cold  continued,  accompanied  by 
snow.  Thev  set  forward  on  their  bleak  and  toilsome 
way,  keeping  to  the  northeast,  toward  the  lofty  summit 
of  a  mountain  which  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  cross. 
Before  they  reached  its  base  they  passed  another  large 
trail,  a  little  to  the  right  of  a  point  of  the  mountain. 
This  they  supposed  to  have  been  made  by  another  band 
of  Crows. 

The  severity  of  the  weather  compelled  them  to  encamp 
at  the  end  of  fifteen  miles  on  the  skirts  of  the  mountain, 


20  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

where  they  found  sufficient  dry  aspen  trees  to  supply  them 
with  fire,  but  they  sought  in  vain  about  the  neighbourhood 
for  a  spring  or  rill  of  water.  The  next  day,  on  arriving 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  the  travellers  found  water 
oozing  out  of  the  earth,  and  resembling,  in  look  and  taste, 
that  of  the  Missouri.  Here  they  encamped  for  the  night, 
and  supped  sumptuously  upon  their  mountain  mutton, 
which  they  found  in  good  condition. 

For  two  days  they  kept  on  in  an  eastwardl}^  direction, 
against  wintry  blasts  and  occasional  storms.  They  suf- 
fered, also,  from  scarcity  of  water,  having  frequently  to 
use  melted  snow  ;  this,  with  the  want  of  pasturage,  re- 
duced their  old  packhorse  sadly.  They  saw  many  tracks 
of  buffalo,  and  some  few  bulls,  which,  however,  got  the 
wind  of  them  and  scampered  off. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  they  changed  their  course  to  the 
northeast,  toward  a  wooded  ravine  in  a  mountain.  At  a 
small  distance  from  its  base,  to  their  great  joy,  they  dis- 
covered an  abundant  stream,  running  between  willowed 
banks.  Here  they  halted  for  the  night.  Ben  Jones  hav- 
ing luckily  trapped  a  beaver  and  killed  two  buffalo  bulls, 
they  remained  there  the  next  day,  feasting,  reposing,  and 
allowing  their  jaded  horse  to  rest  from  his  labours.^ 

Pursuing  the  course  of  this  stream  for  about  twenty 
miles,  they  came  to  where  it  forced  a  passage  through  a 
range  of  hills,  covered  with  cedars,  into  an  extensive  low 
country,  affording  excellent  pasturage  to  numerous  herds 
of  buffalo.  Here  they  killed  three  cow^s,  which  were  the 
first  they  had  been  able  to  get,  having  heretofore  had  to 
content  themselves  with  bull-beef,  which  at  this  season  of 
the  year  is  very  poor.  The  hump  meat  and  tongues 
afforded  them  a  repiust  fit  for  an  epicure. 

'^  From  an  inspection  of  the  map  which  accompanied  Stuart's  march, 
this  sti'eam  was  evidently  the  headwater  of  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte; 
but  he  was  not  aware  of  the  fact. 


EXPLORING    EXPEDITIONS  21 

It  was  now  late  in  the  season  and  they  Avere  convinced 
it  would  be  suicidal  to  continue  their  journey  on  foot,  as 
still  many  hundred  miles  lay  before  them  to  the  Missouri 
River.  The  absorbing  question  now  was  where  to  choose 
a  suitable  wintering  place  ;  they  happened  the  next  day 
to  come  upon  a  bend  of  the  river  which  appeared  to  be 
just  tlie  spot  they  were  seeking.  Here  was  a  beautiful 
low  point  of  land,  covered  by  cottonwood,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  thick  growth  of  willow,  which  yielded 
both  shelter  and  fuel,  as  well  as  material  for  buildinor. 
The  river  swept  by  in  a  strong  current  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  wide.  To  the  southeast  wQre  mountains 
of  moderate  height,  the  nearest  about  two  miles  off,  but 
the  whole  chain  ranging  to  the  east,  south,  and  south- 
west, as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Their  summits  were 
crowned  with  extensive  tracts  of  pitch-pine,  checkered 
with  small  patches  of  the  quivering  aspen.  Lower  down 
were  thick  forests  of  firs  and  red  cedars,  growing  out  in 
many  places  from  the  very  fissures  of  the  rocks.  The 
mountains  were  broken  and  precipitous,  Avith  huge  bluffs 
protruding  from  among  the  forests.  Their  rocky  re- 
cesses and  beetling  cliffs  afforded  retreats  to  innumer- 
able flocks  of  the  bighorn,  while  their  woody  summits 
and  ravines  abounded  with  bears  and  black-tailed  deer. 
These,  with  the  numerous  herds  of  buffalo  that  ranged 
the  lower  grounds  along  the  river,  promised  the  travellers 
abundant  cheer  in  their  winter  quarters. 

On  tlie  2d  of  November,  they  pitched  their  camp  for  the 
winter  on  the  woody  point,  and  their  first  thought  was  to 
obtain  a  supply  of  provisions.  Ben  Jones  and  the  two 
Canadians  accordingly  sallied  forth,  accompanied  by  two 
other  members  of  the  party,  leaving  but  one  to  watch  the 
camp.  Their  hunting  was  uncommonly  successful.  In 
the  course  of  two  days  they  killed  thirty-two  buffaloes, 
and  collected  their  meat  on  the  margin  of  a  small  brook. 


22  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

about  a  mile  distant.  Fortunately  the  river  was  frozen 
over,  so  that  the  meat  was  easily  transported  to  the  en- 
campment. On  a  succeeding  day  a  herd  of  buffalo  came 
trampling  through  the  woody  bottom  on  the  river  banks, 
and  fifteen  more  were  killed. 

It  was  soon  discovered,  however,  that  there  was  game 
of  a  more  dangerous  nature  in  their  neighbourhood.  On 
one  occasion  Mr.  Crooks  wandered  about  a  mile  from 
camp,  and  had  ascended  a  small  hill  commanding  a  view 
of  the  river ;  he  was  without  his  rifle,  a  rare  circum- 
stance, for  in  these  wild  regions,  where  one  may  at  any 
moment  meet  a  wild  animal  or  a  hostile  Indian,  it  is 
customary  never  to  stir  out  from  the  camp  unarmed. 
The  hill  where  he  stood  overlooked  the  spot  where  the 
killing  of  the  buffalo  had  taken  place.  As  he  was 
gazing  around,  his  eye  was  caught  by  an  object  below, 
moving  directly  toward  him.  To  his  dismay  he  discov- 
ered it  to  be  a  she  grizzly  with  two  cubs.  There  was  no 
tree  at  hand  into  which  he  could  climb,  and  to  run  would 
only  be  to  invite  pursuit,  as  he  would  soon  be  overtaken. 
He  threw  himself  on  the  ground,  therefore,  and  lay  mo- 
tionless, watching  the  movements  of  the  animal  with 
intense  anxiety.  It  continued  to  advance  until  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  where  it  turned,  and  made  into  the  woods, 
having  probably  gorged  itself  with  buffalo  flesh.  Mr. 
Crooks  made  all  possible  haste  back  to  camp,  rejoicing  at 
his  escape,  and  determined  never  to  stir  out  again  with- 
out his  rifle.  A  few  days  afterwards  a  grizzly  bear  was 
shot  at  a  short  distance  from  camp  by  Mr.  Miller. 

As  the  slaughter  of  so  many  buffaloes  had  provided  the 
party  with  beef  for  the  winter,  even  if  they  met  with  no 
further  supply,  they  now  set  to  work  with  heart  and  hand 
to  build  a  comfortable  shelter.  In  a  little  while  the  woody 
promontory  rang  with  the  unwonted  sound  of  the  axe. 
Some  of  its  lofty  trees  were  laid  low,  and  b}'  the  second 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  23 

evening  the  cabin  was  complete.  It  was  eight  feet  wide, 
and  eighteen  feet  long.  The  walls  were  six  feet  high, 
and  the  whole  was  covered  with  buffalo  skins.  The  fire- 
place was  in  the  centre,  and  the  smoke  found  its  way  out 
by  a  hole  in  the  roof. 

The  hunters  were  next  sent  out  to  procure  deerskins 
for  garments,  moccasins,  and  other  purposes.  They  made 
the  mountains  echo  with  their  rifles,  and,  in  the  course 
of  two  days'  hunting,  killed  twenty-eight  bighorn  and 
black-tailed  deer. 

The  party  now  revelled  in  abundance.  After  all  they 
had  suffered  from  hunger,  cold,  fatigue,  and  watchful- 
ness; after  all  their  perils  from  treacherous  and  savage 
men,  they  exulted  in  the  snugness  and  security  of  their 
isolated  cabin,  hidden,  as  they  thought,  even  from  the 
prying  eyes  of  Indian  scouts,  and  stored  with  creature 
comforts.  They  looked  forward  to  a  winter  of  peace  and 
quietness ;  of  roasting,  broiling,  and  boiling,  feasting  upon 
venison,  mountain  mutton,  bear's  meat,  marrow-bones,  buf- 
falo humps,  and  other  hunters'  dainties ;  of  dozing  and 
reposing  around  their  fire,  gossiping  over  past  dangers 
and  adventures,  telling  long  hunting  stories, —  until  spring 
should  return  ;  when  they  would  make  canoes  of  buffalo 
skins,  and  float  down  the  river. 

From  such  halcyon  dreams  they  were  startled  one 
morning,  at  daybreak,  by  a  savage  yell,  and  jumped  for 
their  rifles.  The  yell  was  repeated  by  two  or  three  voices. 
Cautiously  peeping  out,  they  beheld,  to  their  dismay, 
several  Indian  warriors  among  the  trees,  all  armed  and 
painted  in  warlike  style,  evidently  bent  on  some  hostile 
purpose. 

Miller  changed  countenance  as  he  regarded  them. 
"We  are  in  trouble,"  said  he,  "these  are  some  of  the  ras- 
cally Arapahoes  that  robbed  me  last  year."  Not  a  word 
was  uttered  by  the  rest  of  tlie  party ;  they  silently  slung 


24  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

their  powder-horns,  ball-pouclies,  and  prepared  themselves 
for  battle.  INrLellan,  who  had  taken  his  gun  to  pieces 
the  evening  before,  put  it  together  in  all  haste.  He  pro- 
posed that  they  should  break  out  the  clay  from  between 
the  logs,  so  as  to  be  able  to  fire  upon  the  enemy. 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  Stuart ;  "  it  will  not  do  to  show  fear 
or  distrust;  we  must  first  hold  a  parley.  Some  one  must 
go  out  and  meet  them  as  a  friend." 

Who  was  to  undertake  the  task  ?  It  was  full  of  peril, 
as  the  envoy  might  be  shot  down  at  the  threshold. 

"  The  leader  of  a  party,"  said  Miller,  "  always  takes  the 
advance." 

"  Good  !  "  replied  Stuart ;  "  I  am  ready."  He  immedi- 
ately went  forth ;  one  of  the  Canadians  followed  him ; 
the  rest  of  the  party  remained  in  garrison,  to  keep  the 
savages  in  check. 

Stuart  advanced,  holding  his  rifle  in  one  hand  and  ex- 
tending the  other  to  the  savage  who  appeared  to  be  the 
chief.  The  latter  stepped  forward  and  took  it ;  his  men 
followed  his  example,  and  all  shook  hands  with  Stuart,  in 
token  of  friendship.  They  now  explained  their  errand. 
They  were  a  war-party  of  Arapahoe  braves.  Their  vil- 
lage lay  on  a  stream  several  days'  journey  to  the  east- 
ward. It  had  been  attacked  and  ravaged  during  their 
absence  by  a  band  of  Crows,  who  had  carried  off  several 
of  their  women  and  most  of  their  horses.  They  were  in 
quest  of  vengeance.  For  sixteen  daj^s  they  had  been 
tracking  the  Crows  about  the  mountains,  but  had  not  yet 
come  upon  them.  In  the  meantime  they  had  met  with 
scarcely  any  game,  and  were  half  famished.  About  two 
days  previously  they  had  heard  the  report  of  firearms 
among  the  mountains,  and  on  searching  in  the  direction 
of  the  sound,  had  come  to  a  place  where  a  deer  had  been 
killed.  They  had  followed  the  trail  and  it  had  brought 
them  to  the  cabin. 


EXPLOKING   EXPEDITIONS  25 

Mr.  Stuart  now  invited  the  chief  and  another,  who 
appeared  to  be  his  lieutenant,  into  the  cabin,  but  made 
signs  that  no  one  else  was  to  enter.  The  rest  halted  at 
the  door  and  others  came  straggling  up,  until  the  whole 
party,  to  the  number  of  twenty-three,  were  gathered  in 
front.  They  were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  toma- 
hawks, scalping-knives,  and  a  few  had  guns.  All  were 
painted  and  dressed  for  war,  having  a  savage  and  fierce 
appearance.  Mr.  Miller  recognized  among  them  some  of 
the  very  fellows  who  had  robbed  him  the  preceding  year, 
and  put  his  comrades  on  their  guard.  Every  man  stood 
ready  to  resist  the  first  act  of  hostility,  but  the  savages 
conducted  themselves  peaceably,  and  showed  none  of  that 
swaggering  arrogance  which  a  war -party  is  apt  to  assume. 

On  entering  the  cabin,  the  chief  and  his  lieutenant  cast 
a  wistful  look  at  the  rafters,  hung  with  venison  and 
buffalo  meat.  Mr.  Stuart  made  a  merit  of  necessity,  and 
invited  them  to  help  themselves.  They  did  not  wait  to 
be  pressed.  The  beams  were  soon  eased  of  their  burden ; 
venison  and  beef  were  passed  out  to  the  crew  before  the 
door,  and  a  scene  of  gormandizing  commenced  which  few 
can  imagine  who  have  not  witnessed  the  gastronomical 
powers  of  an  Indian  after  an  interval  of  fasting.  This 
was  kept  up  throughout  the  day ;  they  paused  now  and 
then,  it  is  true,  for  a  brief  interval,  but  only  to  renew  the 
charge  with  fresh  ardour.  The  chief  and  the  lieutenant 
surpassed  all  the  rest  in  the  vigour  and  perseverance  of 
their  attacks ;  as  if,  from  their  station,  they  were  bound 
to  signalize  themselves  in  all  onslaughts.  Mr.  Stuart 
kept  them  well  supplied  with  choice  bits,  for  it  was  his 
policy  to  overfeed  them,  and  keep  them  from  leaving  the 
cabin,  where  they  served  as  hostages  for  the  good  con- 
duct of  their  followers.  Once  only  in  the  course  of  the 
day  did  the  chief  sally  forth.  Mr.  Stuart  and  one  of 
the  men  accompanied  him,  armed  with  their  rifles,  but 


26  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

without  betraying  any  distrust.  He  soon  returned,  and 
renewed  liis  attack  upon  the  larder.  In  a  word,  he  and 
his  worthy  coadjutor,  the  lieutenant,  ate  until  they  were 
both  stupefied. 

Toward  evening  the  Indians  made  their  preparations 
for  the  night  according  to  the  practice  of  war-parties. 
Those  outside  of  the  cabin  threw  up  two  breastworks, 
into  which  they  retired  at  a  tolerably  early  hour,  and 
slept  like  overfed  hounds.  As  to  the  cliief  and  his 
lieutenant,  they  slept  inside,  and  in  the  course  of  the 
night  they  got  up  two  or  three  times  to  eat.  The  travel- 
lers took  turns,  one  at  a  time,  to  mount  guard  until 
morning.  Scarcely  had  the  day^  dawned  when  the  gor- 
mandizing was  renewed  by  the  wdiole  band,  and  carried 
on  with  surprising  vigour  until  ten  o'clock,  when  all 
prepared  to  depart.  They  had  still  six  days'  journey  to 
make,  they  said,  before  they  could  come  up  with  the 
Crows,  who,  they  understood,  were  encamped  on  a  river 
to  the  north.  Their  way  lay  through  a  hungr}^  country 
where  there  was  no  game  ;  they  would,  moreover,  have 
but  little  time  to  hunt ;  they  therefore  craved  a  small 
supply  of  provisions  for  the  journey.  j\Ir,  Stuart  again 
invited  them  to  help  themselves.  They  did  so  with  keen 
foretliought,  taking  the  choicest  parts  of  tlie  meat,  and 
leaving  the  late  plenteous  larder  almost  bare.  Their 
next  request  was  for  a  supply  of  ammunition.  They  had 
guns,  but  no  powder  and  ball.  They  promised  to  pay 
magnificentl}^  out  of  the  spoils  of  their  foray.  "  AVe  are 
poor  now,"  said  they,  "  and  are  obliged  to  go  on  foot, 
but  we  shall  soon  come  back  laden  with  booty,  and  all 
mounted  on  horseback,  wath  scalps  hanging  at  our 
bridles.  We  will  then  give  each  of  you  a  horse  to  keep 
you  from  being  tired  on  your  journey." 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Stuart,  "  when  you  bring  the  horses, 
you  shall  have  the  ammunition,  but  not  before."     The 


EXPLORING    EXPEDITIONS  27 

Indians  saw  bv  his  determined  tone  that  all  fnrther 
entreaty  would  be  unavailing,  so  they  desisted,  with  a 
good-humoured  laugh,  and  went  off  exceedingly  well 
freighted,  both  witliin  and  without,  promising  to  be  back 
again  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight. 

No  sooner  were  they  out  of  hearing  than  the  luckless 
travellers  held  another  council.  The  security  of  their 
cabin  was  at  an  end,  and  with  it  all  their  dreams  of  a 
quiet  and  cosey  winter.  They  were  between  two  fires. 
On  one  side  were  their  old  enemies,  the  Crows  ;  on  the 
other  side,  the  Arapahoes,  no  less  dangerous  freebooters. 
As  to  the  moderation  of  this  war-party,  they  considered 
it  assumed,  to  put  them  off  their  guard  against  some 
more  favourable  opportunity  for  a  surprisal.  It  was  de- 
termined, therefore,  not  to  await  their  return,  but  to 
abandon  with  all  speed  this  dangerous  neighbourhood. 

The  interval  of  comfort  and  repose  which  the  party  had 
enjoyed  in  their  cabin  rendered  the  renewal  of  their 
fatigues  intolerable  for  the  first  two  or  three  days.  The 
snow  lay  deep,  and  was  slightly  frozen  on  the  surface,  but 
not  sufficiently  to  bear  their  weight.  Their  feet  became 
sore  by  breaking  through  the  crust,  and  their  limbs  Aveary 
bv  floundering  on  without  a  firm  foothold.  So  exhausted 
and  dispirited  were  they,  that  they  began  to  think  it 
would  be  better  to  remain  and  run  the  risk  of  being 
killed  by  the  Indians,  than  to  drag  on  thus  painfully, 
with  the  probability  of  perishing  by  the  way.  Their 
miserable  horse  fared  no  better  than  themselves,  having 
for  the  first  da}^  or  two  no  other  forage  than  the  ends  of 
willow  twigs,  and  the  bark  of  the  cotton  wood  tree. 

They  all,  however,  appeared  to  gain  patience  and  hardi- 
hood as  they  proceeded,  and  for  fourteen  days  kept  stead- 
ily on,  making  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  miles. 

During  the  last  three  days  of  their  fortnight's  travel, 
however,  the  face  of  the  country  changed.     The  timber 


28  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

gradually  diminished,  until  they  could  scarcely  find  fuel 
sufficient  for  culinary  purposes.  The  game  grew  more 
and  more  scanty,  and  finally  none  was  to  be  seen  but  a 
few  miserable  broken-doAvn  buffalo  bulls,  not  worth  kill- 
ing. The  snow  lay  fifteen  inches  deep,  and  made  the 
travelling  grievously  painful  and  toilsome.  At  length 
they  came  to  an  immense  plain,  where  no  vestige  of  tim- 
ber was  to  be  seen,  not  a  single  quadruped  to  enliven 
the  desolate  landscape.  Here,  then,  their  hearts  failed 
them,  and  they  held  another  consultation.  The  width  of 
the  river,  wliich  was  nearly  a  mile,  its  extreme  shallow- 
ness, the  frequency  of  quicksands,  and  various  other 
characteristics,  had  at  length  made  them  sensible  of  their 
errors  with  respect  to  it,  and  they  now  came  to  the  cor- 
rect conclusion  that  they  were  on  the  banks  of  the  Platte. 
What  were  they  to  do?  Pursue  its  course  to  the  Mis- 
souri? To  go  on  at  this  season  of  the  year  seemed 
dangerous  in  the  extreme.  There  was  no  prospect  of 
obtaining  either  food  or  fuek  The  country  was  destitute 
of  trees,  and  though  there  might  be  driftwood  along  the 
river,  it  lay  too  deep  beneath  the  snow  for  them  to  find  it. 

The  weather  was  threatening  a  change,  and  a  snow- 
storm on  these  boundless  wastes  might  prove  as  fatal  as 
a  whirlwind  of  sand  on  an  Arabian  desert.  After  much 
deliberation,  it  was  at  length  determined  to  retrace  their 
last  three  days'  journey  of  seventy-seven  miles,  to  a  place 
where  they  had  seen  a  sheltering  growth  of  forest-trees, 
and  where  there  was  an  abundance  of  game.  Here  they 
would  once  more  set  up  their  winter  quarters,  and  await 
the  opening  of  navigation  to  launch  themselves  in  canoes. 

Accordingly,  on  th-i  2Tth  of  December  they  faced  about, 
retraced  their  steps,  nnd  on  the  30th  regained  the  part  of 
the  river  in  question. 

They  encamped  on  the  margin  of  the  river,  in  a  grove 
where  there  were  trees  large  enough  for  canoes.     Here 


EXPLORING   EXPEDITIONS  29 

they  put  up  a  shed  for  immediate  shelter,  and  at  once 
proceeded  to  erect  a  cabin.  New  Year's  Day  dawned 
when  but  one  wall  of  their  cabin  was  completed ;  the 
genial  and  jovial  day,  however,  was  not  permitted  to  pass 
uncelebrated,  even  by  this  weather-beaten  crew  of  wan- 
derers. All  work  was  suspended,  except  that  of  roasting 
und  boiling.  The  choicest  of  the  buffalo  meat,  with 
tongues,  humps,  and  marrow-bones,  were  devoured  in 
quantities  that  would  have  astonished  any  one  who  has 
not  lived  among  hunters  and  Indians.  As  an  extra  re- 
gale, having  nothing  to  smoke,  they  cut  up  an  old  tobacco 
pouch,  still  redolent  with  the  potent  herb,  and  smoked  it 
in  honour  of  the  day.  Thus  for  a  time,  in  present  revelry, 
however  uncouth,  they  forgot  all  past  troubles  and  anxie- 
ties about  the  future,  and  their  forlorn  shelter  echoed 
with  the  sound  of  gayety. 

The  next  day  they  resumed  their  labours,  and  by  the 
sixth  of  the  month  the  cabin  was  complete.  They  soon 
killed  abundance  of  buffalo,  and  again  laid  in  a  stock  of 
winter  provisions. 

The  party  was  more  fortunate  in  this  its  second  canton- 
ment. The  winter  passed  awa}^  without  any  Indian  visi- 
tors ;  and  the  game  continued  to  be  plentiful  in  the 
neighbourhood.  They  felled  two  large  trees,  and  shaped 
them  into  canoes,  and,  as  the  spring  opened,  and  a  thaw 
of  several  days  melted  the  ice  in  the  river,  they  made 
every  preparation  for  embarking.  On  the  8th  of  March 
they  launched  forth  in  their  canoes,  but  soon  found  that 
the  river  had  not  depth  sufficient  even  for  such  slender 
barks.  It  expanded  into  a  wide,  but  extremely  shallow 
stream,  with  many  sandbars,  and  occasionally  various 
channels.  They  got  one  of  their  canoes  a  few  miles  down 
it,  with  extreme  difficulty,  sometimes  wading,  and  drag- 
ging it  over  the  shoals.  At  last  they  had  to  abandon  the 
attempt,  and  to  resume  their  journey  on  foot,  aided  by 


30  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

their  faithful  okl  packhorse,  which  had  recruited  strength 
during  the  winter. 

The  weather  dehiyed  them  for  several  days,  having 
suddenly  become  more  rigorous  than  it  had  been  at  any 
time  during  the  winter ;  but  on  the  20th  of  March  they 
were  again  on  their  journey. 

In  two  days  they  arrived  at  the  vast  naked  prairie,  the 
wintry  aspect  of  which  had  caused  them  in  December 
to  pause  and  turn  back.  It  was  now  clothed  with  the 
early  verdure  of  spring,  and  plentifully  stocked  with 
game.  Still,  when  obliged  to  bivouac  on  its  bare  sur- 
face, without  any  covering,  by  a  scanty  fire  of  buffalo 
chips,  they  found  the  night-blasts  piercingly  cold.  On 
one  occasion  a  herd  of  buffalo  having  strayed  near  their 
evening  camp,  they  killed  three  of  them  merely  for  their 
hides,  wherewith  to  make  a  shelter  for  the  night. 

They  journeyed  on  for  about  a  hundred  miles,  and  the 
first  landmark  by  which  they  were  able  to  conjecture 
their  position  with  any  degree  of  confidence  was  an 
island  about  seventy  miles  in  length,  which  they  pre- 
sumed to  be  Le  G-rande  Isle.^  They  now  knew  that  they 
were  not  a  very  great  distance  from  the  Missouri  River, 
if  their  presumption  was  correct.  They  went  on,  there- 
fore, with  renewed  hope,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  third 
day  met  an  Otoe  Indian,  who  informed  them  they  were 
but  a  short  distance  from  the  Missouri.  He  also  told 
them  of  the  war  that  had  been  progressing  between  the 
United  States  and  England.  This  was  news  to  them 
indeed,  for  during  that  whole  period  they  had  been  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  learning  anything  of  civilized 
affairs. 

The  Indian  conducted  them  to  his  village,  where  they 

'  Grand  Island  in  the  Platte  River  was  thus  originally  named  by 
the  early  trappers  and  voyageurs,  the  majority  of  whom  were  French 
Canadians. 


EXPLORING    EXPEDITIONS 


31 


were  delighted  to  meet  two  white  trappers  recently  ar- 
rived from  St.  Louis.  A  bargain  was  now  made  with  one 
of  them,  who  agreed  to  furnish  them  with  a  canoe  and 
provisions  for  the  voyage,  in  exchange  for  their  venerable 
traveller,  the  old  horse.  In  a  few  days  they  started  and 
arrived  at  Fort  Osage,  where  they  were  again  received 
hospitably  by  the  officers  of  the  garrison,  and  where  they 
enjoyed  that  luxury,  bread,  which  they  had  not  tasted  for 
over  a  year.  Reembarking,  they  arrived  in  St.  Louis 
on  the  30th  of  April,  without  experiencing  any  further 
adventure  worthy  of  note.^ 

1  See  Astoria,  by  Washington  Irving. 


¥^"^g^.y_-    ' 


//7c//d/?  Cncdmpment 


CHAPTER   II 


CAPTAIN      EZEKIEL      WILLIAMS'      EXPEDITIOX      TO      THE     PLATTE 

VALLEY    IX    1807 CHAKACTEB     OF    THE    OLD    TKAPPER THE 

OUTFIT       OF      HIS       MEN CROSSES      THE      RIVER IMMENSE 

■     HERDS    OF    BUFFALO DEATH    OF    THEIR    FAVOURITE    HOUND 

A     LOST      TRAPPER  —  A   PRAIRIE    BURIAL A  WOLF-CHASE 

AFTER    A     BUFFALO AN     INDIAN     LOCHINVAR THE    CROW 

INDIANS THEIR  COUNTRY ROSE,  THE  SCAPEGOAT  REFU- 
GEE   THE  LOST  TRAPPERS A  BATTLE  WITH  THE  SAV- 
AGES 


%^&  I     ^...^      l>I  the  return  of  Lewis  and 

Clarke's  expedition  from 
the  Rocky  jNIoiintains 
where  they  had  wintered 
with  the  Mandans,  a  cele- 
brated chief  of  that  tribe, 
Big  White,  was  induced  to 
accompany  Captain  Lewis  to 
Washington  in  order  that  he 
might  see  the  President,  and 
learn  something  of  the  power 
of  the  people  of  the  country 
far  to  the  East. 
The  Mandans  at  that  time  were 
at  war  with  the  Sioux,  and  Big 
White  was  fearful  that  on  his  return  to  his  own  tribe 
some  of  the  Sioux  might  cut  him  and  his  party  off,  so 
he  hesitated  at  first  to  accept  the  invitation  ;  but  upon 
Captain  Clarke  assuring  him  that  the  government  would 

32 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  33 

send  a  guard  of  armed  men  to  protect  and  convoy  him 
safely  to  his  own  country,  the  chief  assented,  and  took 
with  him  his  wife  and  son. 

In  the  spring  of  1807,  Big  White  set  out  on  his  return 
to  the  Mandan  country.  Tlie  promised  escort,  comprising 
twenty  men  under  the  command  of  Captain  Ezekiel  Will- 
iams, a  noted  frontiersman,  left  St.  Louis  to  guard  him 
and  to  explore  the  region  of  the  then  unknown  far  West. 

Each  man  of  the  party  carried  a  rifle,  together  with 
powder  and  lead  to  last  him  for  a  period  of  two  years. 
They  also  took  with  them  six  traps  to  each  person,  for  it 
was  the  intention  of  the  expedition,  after  it  had  seen  the 
brave  Mandan  safely  to  his  own  home,  to  hunt  for  beaver 
and  other  fur-bearing  animals  in  the  recesses  of  the  vast 
region  beyond  the  INIissouri. 

Pistols,  knives,  camp  kettles,  blankets,  and  other  camp 
equipage  necessary  to  the  success  of  the  expedition  and 
the  comfort  of  the  men  were  carried  on  extra  packhorses. 
He  did  not  forget  to  take  gewgaws  and  trinkets  valued  by 
the  savage,  as  presents  to  the  chiefs  of  the  several  tribes 
they  miglit  chance  to  meet. 

It  will  be  remembered  by  the  student  of  history  that  the 
expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clarke  was  confined  to  the 
Missouri  Kiver.  They  went  up  that  stream  and  returned 
by  the  same  route,  and  as  Lieutenant  Pike  started  west  in 
1805,  it  is  claimed  that  this  expedition  of  Captain  Will- 
iams, overland  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  was  the  second 
ever  undertaken  by  citizens  of  the  United  States.  The 
difficulties  which  they  expected  to  encounter,  having  no 
knowledge  of  the  country  through  whicli  they  were  to 
pass,  as  may  be  surmised,  were  numerous  and  trying. 
When  leaving  the  Mandan  chief  at  his  village,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellowstone,  that  excellent  Indian  gave  the 
party  some  timely  advice,  and  it  prevented  their  absolute 
annihilation  on  several  occasions.     Captain  Williams  was 


34  THE   GKEAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

especially  urged  to  exercise  the  greatest  vigilance  day  and 
night ;  to  pay  the  strictest  attention  to  the  position  of  his 
camps  and  the  picketing  of  his  animals.  He  was  told  that, 
although  the  average  Indian  generally  relied  upon  sur- 
prises on  their  raids,  they  were  not  rash  and  careless, 
rarel}'  attacking  a  party  that  was  prepared  and  on  the 
lookout. 

Captain  Williams  was  a  man  of  the  most  persistent 
perseverance,  patience,  and  unflinching  courage,  coupled 
with  that  determination  of  character  which  has  been  the 
saving  attribute  of  nearly  all  our  famous  mountaineers 
from  the  earliest  days.  His  men,  too,  were  all  used  to  the 
privations  and  hardships  that  a  life  on  the  border  demands, 
for  Missouri,  at  the  time  of  the  expedition,  was  a  "wilder- 
ness in  the  most  rigid  definition  of  the  term.  All  were 
splendid  shots  with  the  rifle,  and  could  hit  the  eye  of  a 
squirrel  whether  the  animal  stood  still  or  was  running  up 
the  trunk  of  a  tree. 

The  distance  they  travelled  each  day  averaged  about 
twenty-five  miles.  When  they  were  ready  to  camp,  they 
selected  a  position  where  wood  and  water  were  plentiful, 
and  the  grass  good  for  their  animals.  For  the  first  eight 
or  ten  nights  they  would  kindle  great  fires,  around  which 
they  gathered,  ate  the  fat  venisoii  their  hunters  had 
killed  through  the  day,  and  told  stories  of  hunting  and 
logging  back  in  the  mighty  forests  of  Missouri.  When 
they  reached  the  region  of  the  Platte  they  were  forced  to 
abandon  tliis  careless  practice,  for  they  were  now  entering 
a  region  infested  by  hostile  savages,  and  they  found  it 
necessary  to  act  upon  the  suggestions  of  the  Mandan  chief, 
and  be  constantly  on  their  guard. 

For  the  distance  of  about  two  hundred  and  Mty  miles 
from  the  Missouri  they  did  not  find  game  very  abundant, 
although  they  never  suffered,  as  there  was  always  enough 
to  supply  their  wants.     The  timber  began  to  thin  out  too, 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  35 

and  they  were  ol)liged  to  resort  for  their  lire  to  the  hois 
de  vache^  or  buffalo-chips. 

One  day,  two  of  the  hunters  killed  a  brace  of  very  fat 
deer  close  to  camp,  and  when  the  animals  were  dressed 
and  their  carcasses  hung  up  to  a  huge  limb,  the  viscera 
and  other  offal  attracted  a  band  of  hungry  wolves.  Not 
less  than  twenty  of  the  impudent,  famishing  brutes 
battened  in  luxurious  frenzy  on  the  inviting  entrails  and 
feet  of  the  slaughtered  deer.  The  wolves  were  of  all 
sizes  and  colours;  those  that  were  the  largest  kept  their 
smaller  congeners  away  from  the  feast  until  they  were 
themselves  gorged,  and  then  allowed  the  little  ones  to 
gather  up  the  fragments.  While  the  latter  were  waiting 
their  turn  with  a  constant  whining  and  growling,  the  dogs 
of  the  expedition  barked  an  accompaniment  to  the  howls 
of  the  impatient  animals,  and  soon  made  a  break  for  the 
pack.  They  chased  them  around  the  trees  and  out  on  the 
o})en  prairie,  when  they  turned  upon  the  dogs  and  drove 
them  back  to  camp.  One  of  the  most  plucky  of  the  dogs 
made  a  bold  stand,  but  was  seized  by  as  many  of  the 
wolves  as  could  get  hold  of  him,  and  he  was  torn  to  slireds 
almost  instantly. 

The  trappers  did  not  want  to  waste  any  lead  on  the 
worthless  animals,  but  in  tlie  darkness  set  some  of  their 
beaver-traps,  which  they  baited  with  pieces  of  venison 
suspended  just  above  them  on  a  projecting  limb  of  a  tree. 
In  the  morning,  when  the  trappers  went  out  to  look  for 
their  supposed  victims,  both  the  meat  and  the  traps  were 
gone.  They  had,  in  their  inexperience,  forgotten  to 
fasten  the  traps  to  anything,  and  if  any  of  the  wolves 
were  caught,  they  had  walked  off,  traps  and  all ! 

While  all  were  at  breakfast,  one  of  the  mortified 
hunters,  disgusted  at  the  loss  of  his  trap,  went  off  with 
the  intention  of  tracking  the  wolf  that  had  carried  it 
away,  thinking  perhaps  if  the  animal  had  got  rid  of  it  he 


36  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

would  find  it  on  its  trail.  Sure  enough,  a  wolf  had  been 
caught  by  this  man's  trap,  and  in  dragging  it  along  had 
left  in  the  grass  a  very  distinct  trail,  by  which  he  was 
easily  followed.  lie  was  tracked  into  a  thicket  of  liazel, 
entrance  to  which  was  almost  impossible,  so  rank  and 
tangled  was  its  growth.  No  doubt  the  wolf  was  alive, 
but  how  to  recover  his  trap  was  an  enigma  to  the  hunter. 
He  called  the  dogs  and  endeavoured  to  get  them  to  go  in, 
but,  after  their  experience  of  the  niglit  before,  they,  with 
the  most  terrible  howls,  declined  to  make  the  attemj^t. 
Then  it  was  observed  that  near  the  clump  of  hazel  was  a 
large  oak-tree,  from  whose  limbs  an  extended  view  of  the 
centre  of  the  thicket  could  be  had.  One  of  the  hunters, 
at  the  suggestion  of  Captain  Williams,  climbed  the  tree, 
and  shot  the  wolf  Avith  his  rifle.  The  danger  having 
passed,  the  wolf  was  dragged  from  his  retreat,  and  it  was 
discovered  that  one  of  liis  forefeet  had  been  caught  in 
the  trap.  He  was  an  immense  fellow,  and  nearly  black 
in  colour. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  frontier,  the  following  method 
was  sometimes  employed  to  rid  a  camp  of  wolves. 
Several  fishhooks  were  tied  together  by  their  shanks,  with 
a  sinew,  and  the  whole  placed  in  the  centre  of  a  piece  of 
tempting  fresh  meat,  which  was  dropped  where  the  bait 
was  most  likely  to  be  found  by  the  prowling  beasts.  The 
hooks  were  so  completely  buried  in  the  meat  as  to  pre- 
vent their  being  shaken  off  by  the  animal  that  seized  the 
bait.  It  is  an  old  trapper's  belief  that  a  wolf  never  takes 
up  a  piece  of  food  without  shaking  it  well  before  he 
attempts  to  eat  it,  so  that  when  the  unlucky  animal  had 
swallowed  the  wicked  morsel,  he  commenced  at  once  to 
howl  most  horribly,  tear  his  neck,  and  run  incontinently 
from  the  place.  As  wolves  rarely  travel  alone,  but  are 
gregarious  in  their  habits,  the  moment  the  brute  has 
swallowed  the  bait  and  commenced  to  run,  all  make  after 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  37 

him.  His  fleeing  is  contagious,  and  they  seldom  come 
back  to  that  spot  again.  Sometimes  the  pack  will  run 
for  fifty  miles  before  stopping. 

One  night,  while  encamped  on  the  Platte,  five  of  their 
horses  were  missing  when  daylight  came.  At  first  they 
thought  the  Indians  had  run  them  off ;  but,  on  second 
thought.  Captain  Williams  argued  that  the  animals  could 
not  have  been  stolen.  If  the  Indians  had  been  able  to 
take  the  five,  they  could  as  easily  have  taken  the  whole 
herd.  This  induced  the  men  to  go  out  and  institute  a 
search  for  the  missing  animals.  Their  trail,  made  very 
plain  by  the  dew,  was  soon  found  in  the  grass,  and  soon 
all  were  returned  to  camp.  The  horses  had  cleared  them- 
selves of  their  hobbles,  and  were  going  off  in  the  direction 
of  their  far-away  home,  and  it  was  not  until  dark  that 
the  camp  was  reached.  Thus  a  whole  da}^  was  lost,  but 
as  they  were  yet  within  comparatively  safe  distance  of 
the  river,  no  harm  resulted  from  their  carelessness.  Now 
greater  caution  must  be  observed,  for  their  journey  was 
to  be  a  long  one  ;  it  led  through  a  region  occupied  by 
hostile  tribes  who  would  watch  them  with  an  energy 
possible  only  to  the  North  American  savage.  The  Indians 
would  waylay  them  in  every  ravine,  watch  them  every 
moment  from  the  hilltops  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  an 
advantage,  hoping  always  to  surj)rise  them,  steal  their 
horses,  and  take  their  scalps  if  possible. 

From  that  day  the  company  adopted  new  tactics  ;  they 
travelled  until  an  hour  before  sundown,  then  halted, 
unsaddled  their  animals,  and  picketed  them  out  to  graze. 
In  the  meantime  their  supper  was  prepared,  the  fires 
lighted,  and,  after  resting  long  enough  for  their  horses  to 
have  filled  themselves,  generally  after  dark,  they  were 
brought  in,  saddled,  the  fires  were  renewed,  and  the  com- 
pany would  start  on  for  another  camp  eight  or  ten  miles 
away,  before  again  halting  for  the  night.     Of  course,  at 


38  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

the  new  camp  no  fires  were  kindled,  and  the  men  rested 
in  security  from  a  possible  attack  by  tlie  savages. 

One  day  the  company  came  upon  a  band  of  friendly 
Kansas  Indians  who  were  out  on  an  annual  buffalo-hunt, 
and  Captain  Williams  resolved  to  spend  two  or  three  days 
with  this  tribe,  and  indulge  in  a  buffalo-hunt  with  them. 
The  whole  country  through  which  they  were  now  travel- 
ling was  literally  covered  with  the  great  shaggy  monsters  ; 
thousands  and  thousands  could  be  seen  from  every  point. 
The  buffalo  had  not  yet  been  frightened.  Pearly  the  next 
morning,  a  dozen  of  the  Kansas  Indians,  splendidly 
mounted,  with  spears,  bows,  and  arrows  for  weapons,  with 
the  same  number  of  Captain  Williams'  men,  started  for 
the  herd  grazing  so  unsuspiciously  a  few  miles  off.  The 
Indians  were  not  only  excellent  hunters,  but  very  superior 
horsemen,  their  animals  familiar  with  the  habits  of  the 
huge  beasts  they  were  to  encounter,  and  well-trained  in 
all  the  quick  movements  so  necessary  to  a  successful  hunt. 
But  it  was  not  so  with  the  men  of  Captain  Williams' 
party.  Many  of  them  had  never  seen  a  buffalo  before, 
and  though  skilful  hunters  in  their  native  woods  on  the 
Missouri  River,  they  were  wholly  unacquainted  with  the 
habits  of  the  immense  beasts  they  were  now  to  kill. 
Their  horses,  too,  were  as  unused  to  the  sight  of  a  buffalo 
as  their  riders,  and  in  consequence  were  badly  frightened 
at  the  first  sight  of  the  ungainly  animals.  The  men,  of 
course,  used  their  rifles,  which  in  those  days  were  alto- 
gether too  cumbersome  for  hunting  the  buffalo. 

The  party  soon  came  in  view  of  the  herd,  which  was 
quietly  grazing  about  a  mile  off.  Then  the  men  dis- 
mounted, cinched  up  their  saddles,  and  getting  their  arms 
ready  for  the  attack,  in  a  few  moments  of  brisk  riding 
were  on  the  edge  of  the  vast  herd.  Every  man  picked 
out  his  quarry  and  dashed  after  it,  the  Indians  selecting 
the  bulls,  as  they  were  fatter  at  that  time  of  year.     The 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  39 

COWS  had  calves  at  their  sides  and  were  much  thinner. 
In  a  moment  the  very  earth  seemed  to  tremble  under  the 
sharp  clatter  of  the  hoofs  of  the  now  thoroughly  alarmed 
beasts,  and  the  sound  as  they  dashed  away  was  like  dis- 
tant thunder.  The  Indians  and  their  horses  seemed  to 
understand  their  business  at  once.  Advancing  up  to  a 
buffalo,  the  savage  discharged  his  bow  and  launched  his 
spear  with  unerring  aim,  and  the  moment  it  was  seen  that 
a  buffalo  was  mortally  wounded,  off  he  would  ride  to 
another  animal,  leaving  the  dying  victim  where  it  fell. 

For  more  than  two  hours  the  hard  work  was  kept  up 
until  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  huge  bulls  were  dead  upon 
the  prairie  within  the  radius  of  a  couple  of  miles.  The 
Indians  had  averaged  more  than  a  buffalo  apiece,  while 
Captain  Williams'  men  had  signally  failed  to  bring  down 
a  single  bull,  because  they  were  unable  to  handle  their 
rifles  while  riding.  In  fact,  several  of  the  white  men  were 
carried  away  by  their  unmanageable  animals  for  miles 
from  the  scene  of  the  hunt.  One  was  thrown  from  his 
saddle.  One  horse  had  in  his  mad  fright  rushed  upon  an 
infuriated  bull  that  had  been  wounded,  and  was  disem- 
bowelled and  killed  in  a  moment.  Its  rider  was  compelled 
to  walk  to  the  camp,  deeply  mortified  at  his  discomfiture. 

Tlie  savages  invariably  exercised  an  amount  of  coolness 
on  a  buffalo-hunt  that  would  astonish  the  average  white 
man.  They  never  let  an  arrow  fly  until  they  were  certain 
of  its  effect.  Sometimes  a  single  arrow  would  suffice  to 
kill  the  largest  of  bulls.  Sometimes,  so  great  was  the  force 
given,  an  arrow  would  pass  obliquely  through  the  body, 
when  a  bone  was  not  struck  in  its  passage. 

Captain  Williams'  party  had  now  an  abundance  of  deli- 
cious buffalo-meat,  but  it  was  at  the  expense  of  a  horse,  a 
considerable  balance  on  the  debtor  side,  considering  the 
long  and  weary  march  3^et  to  be  made.  Providence  seems 
to  have  come  luckily  to  the  relief  of  the  party  at  this 


40  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

juncture,  for,  one  of  the  savages  having  taken  a  particular 
fancy  to  one  of  the  dogs  of  the  outfit,  he  offered  to  ex- 
change a  fine  young  liorse  for  it.  His  offer  Avas  gladly 
acceded  to  by  the  captain.  The  Indian  was  pleased  Avith 
the  bargain,  but  not  more  so  than  the  horseless  hunter. 

The  next  day  Captain  Williams  crossed  the  Platte  a 
short  distance  below  the  junction  of  the  North  and  South 
Forks,  and  just  before  sundown,  as  usual,  halted  to  graze 
the  horses  and  prepare  their  evening  meal.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments the  dog  that  had  been  exchanged  for  a  horse  came 
into  camp,  and  appeared  overjoyed  to  see  his  white  friends 
again.  A  piece  of  buffalo-hide  was  attached  to  his  neck. 
He  had  been  tied,  but  had  succeeded  in  gnawing  the  lariat 
in  two,  and  thus  made  his  escape,  following  the  trail  of 
the  party  he  knew  so  well. 

The  region  through  which  Captain  AVilliams'  party  was 
now  travelling  was  dotted  with  the  various  animals  which 
at  that  early  period  were  so  numerous  on  the  grand  prai- 
ries of  the  Platte.  Conspicuous,  of  course,  were  vast  herds 
of  buffalo,  and  near  the  outer  edge  of  the  nearest  could  be 
distinctly  seen  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves,  eagerly  watching 
for  a  chance  to  hamstring  one  of  the  superannuated  bulls 
which  stood  alone,  remote  from  all  his  companions,  in  all 
the  misery  of  his  forlorn  abandonment. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  the  party  were  riding  silently  along 
the  trail  by  the  margin  of  the  river,  a  rumbling,  muffled 
sound  was  heard,  like  the  mutterings  of  thunder  below  the 
horizon.  One  of  the  Indians  whom  Captain  Williams  had 
induced  to  accompany  him  for  some  distance  farther  into 
the  wilderness,  told  him  that  the  noise  was  made  by  a 
stampeded  herd  of  buffalo,  and  the  sound  became  clearer 
and  more  distinct.  He  believed  the  frightened  animals 
were  rushing  in  the  direction  of  the  company,  and  if  his 
surmises  were  true,  there  was  danger  in  store.  For  more 
than  an  hour  the   rumbling  continued,  sounding  louder 


w 
a 

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a 

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a 
O 


THE   OLD    TRAPPERS  41 

and  louder,  until  at  last  a  surging,  dark-looking  mass  of 
rapidly  moving  animals  was  visible  on  the  horizon,  seem- 
ing to  cover  the  entire  surface  of  the  prairie  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  see. 

There  was  but  one  thing  to  do;  either  the  herd  must  be 
divided  by  some  means,  or  death  to  all  was  inevitable. 
Accordingly  the  horses  were  hobbled,  and  the  men  rushed 
toward  the  approaching  mass  of  surging  animals,  tiring 
off  their  rifles  as  rapidly  and  shouting  as  loudly  as  they 
could.  Luckily  for  the  hunters,  as  the  vast  array  of 
frightened  buffaloes  came  toward  them,  the  leaders,  with 
bloodshot  eyes,  stared  for  a  moment  at  the  new  object  of 
terror,  divided  to  the  right  and  left,  passing  the  now 
thoroughly  alarmed  men  with  only  about  fifty  or  sixty  yards 
between  them. 

For  more  than  an  hour  the  hard  work  of  yelling  and 
firing  off  their  rifles  had  to  be  kept  up  before  the  danger 
was  over.  The  buffalo  appeared  to  be  more  badly  fright- 
ened at  the  yells  of  the  Indian  than  at  anything  else  that 
confronted  them.  One  of  the  beautiful  greyhounds  be- 
longing to  the  company  became  demoralized,  and,  running 
into  the  midst  of  the  rushing  herd  as  it  passed  by,  was 
cruelly  trampled  to  death  in  an  instant. 

In  the  early  days  it  was  generally  believed  that,  when 
buft'alo  were  seen  stampeding  in  the  manner  described, 
they  were  being  chased  by  Indians  ;  and  the  party,  surmis- 
ing this  to  be  the  cause  of  the  present  onward  rush  of  the 
animals,  although  getting  short  of  their  meat  rations,  did 
not  deem  it  prudent  to  kill  any,  so  the  vast  herd  of  the 
coveted  animals  was  allowed  to  pass  by  without  a  shot 
being  fired  at  them. 

The  delay  caused  by  the  stampede  made  the  party  very 
late  in  making  their  usual  afternoon  camp,  and  wlien  they 
started  on  their  hard  march  again,  three  of  the  men  were 
detailed  to  hunt  for  game.     They  were  told  to  join  the 


42  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

company  at  a  bunch  of  timber  just  visible  low  down  on 
the  western  horizon,  apparently  about  six  miles  distant, 
but  as  afterward  proved  it  was  much  farther. 

The  men  who  were  ordered  out  by  the  captain  were 
warned  to  observe  the  strictest  vigilance,  and  jxirticularly 
not  to  separate  from  each  other,  as  it  was  evident  they 
were  in  a  dangerous  country,  and  their  safety  depended 
upon  their  keeping  within  supporting  distance. 

The  main  body  of  the  party  arrived  at  the  bunch  of 
timber  about  sundown,  and  partook  of  a  very  slight  re- 
past, as  the  meat,  upon  which  they  depended  almost 
entirely,  was  nearlj'^  exhausted.  About  dark,  however, 
two  of  the  hunters  who  had  left  in  the  afternoon  came 
into  camp  bringing  with  them  a  fine  deer.  They  reported 
that  their  companion  had  left  them  to  get  a  shot  at  a  herd 
of  elk  a  mile  away,  and  while  going  after  the  deer  which 
they  had  killed  they  lost  sight  of  him.  They  also  stated 
that  they  had  seen  three  horsemen  going  in  the  direction 
which  the  missing  man  had  taken.  This  painful  news 
created  the  greatest  alarm  in  the  camp  ;  it  was  too  late 
and  dark  to  go  out  in  search  of  their  missing  comrade, 
and  if  he  were  still  alive  he  would  be  compelled  to  remain 
entirely  unprotected  during  the  night  on  the  prairie.  The 
captain  at  first  thought  of  kindling  a  large  fire,  hoping 
that  the  lost  man  would  see  the  light  and  find  his  way  in. 
As  this  plan  would  betray  the  presence  of  the  whole  party 
to  any  Indians  who  might  be  prowling  about,  it  was  wisely 
abandoned.  So  the  little  camp-fires  were  extinguished, 
and  a  doable  guard  posted,  for  it  was  believed  that,  if  the 
Indians  had  killed  tlieir  comrade,  they  would  be  likely  to 
attack  the  main  camp  at  dawn,  the  hour  usually  selected 
for  such  raids. 

The  night  passed  slowly  on  ;  nothing  disturbed  the 
hunters  except  their  anxiety  for  their  lost  comrade.  At 
the  faintest  intimation  of  the  coming  dawn,  ten  of  the 


THE    OLD   TRAPPERS  43 

party,  including  the  two  who  had  been  with  the  missing 
man  the  previous  afternoon,  set  out  on  their  quest  for 
their  lost  companion.  They  first  went  back  to  the  spot 
where  they  remembered  having  last  seen  him,  but  there 
was  not  a  sign  of  him ;  not  even  the  track  of  his  horse's 
hoofs  could  be  seen.  The  men  tired  off  their  rifles  as 
they  rode  along,  and  occasionally  called  out  his  name,  but 
not  a  sound  came  back  in  response.  At  last  they  were 
rewarded  by  the  sight  of  a  horse  standing  in  a  bunch  of 
willows.  As  they  approached  him,  they  were  welcomed 
by  his  neighing.  They  then  halted,  and  continued  their 
shouting  and  calling  by  name,  but  not  an  answer  did  they 
get.  They  were  now  confirmed  in  their  belief  that  their 
comrade  had  been  killed  by  the  Indians,  who  were  in  pos- 
session of  his  horse,  and  at  that  moment  hidden  in  the 
bunch  of  willows  before  them.  They  were  determined  to 
know  positively,  so  they  approached  the  spot  very  cau- 
tiously, with  their  fingers  on  the  triggers  of  their  rifles, 
ready  to  repel  an  attack.  When  they  had  approached 
sufficiently  near,  they  saw  that  the  horse  was  carefull}^ 
fastened  to  the  brush,  and  a  short  distance  away  was 
Carson  1  Ijii^g  down  with  his  head  resting  on  the  sad- 
dle I  At  first  the  men  thought  him  dead,  but  found  out 
that  he  was  only  in  a  profound  sleep,  indeed,  really  en- 
joying the  most  delightful  dreams.  When  they  aroused 
him  he  appeared  bewildered  for  a  moment,  but  soon 
recovered  his  normal  condition,  and  related  his  story  to 
his  now  happy  companions.  He  said  that  in  his  eager- 
ness to  get  the  elk  he  lost  his  bearings,  and  wandered 
about  until  midnight.  He  hoped  that  he  might  catch  a 
glimpse  of  their  camp-fire,  but  failing  in  that,  being  tired 
and  hungry,  he  laid  himself  down  and  tried  to  sleep  ;  but 
pondering  upon  his  danger  he  lay  awake  until  daylight, 

1  This  was  not  Kit  Carson.    The  great  frontiersman  did  not  make  his 
advent  in  the  mountains  until  years  afterward. 


44  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKK  TRAIL 

and  had  just  dropped  into  a  deep  slumber  when  they 
found  him,  and  lie  slept  so  soundly  that  he  failed  to 
hear  them  call.  He  said  that  he  saw  the  Indians  on 
horseback  seen  by  the  other  men ;  they  passed  by  him 
within  a  hundred  yards,  but  did  not  see  him,  as  he  was 
already  hidden  in  the  willows  where  he  was  found. 

The  lost  man  being  found,  the  party  returned  to  camp 
and  resumed  its  journey,  exercising  renewed  caution, 
as  the  signs  of  Indians  grew  thicker  as  they  moved  on. 
Tracks  of  the  savages'  horses  and  the  remains  of  their 
camp-fires  were  now  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  the 
game  along  the  trail  was  easily  frightened,  another  sign 
of  the  late  presence  of  Indians. 

About  noon  some  mounted  Indians  were  discovered  by 
the  aid  of  the  captain's  field-glass,  on  a  divide,  evidently 
watching  the  movements  of  the  party.  They  were  sup- 
posed to  be  runners  of  some  hostile  tribe,  who  intended 
that  night  to  steal  upon  them  and  take  their  horses,  and 
possibly  attempt  to  take  their  scalps.  Toward  night  the 
same  Indians  were  again  observed  following  the  trail  of 
the  party,  and  they  were  now  satisfied  the  savages  were 
dogging  them.  Having  arrived  at  the  margin  of  a  small 
stream  of  very  pure  water,  they  halted  for  an  hour  or 
more,  allowing  the  Indians,  who  were  evidently  watching 
every  movement,  to  believe  their  intention  was  to  camp 
for  the  night  at  that  spot.  As  soon  as  the  animals  were 
sufficiently  rested,  however,  and  had  filled  themselves 
Avith  the  nutritious  grass  growing  so  luxuriantly  all 
around  them,  they  saddled  up,  first  having  added  a  large 
amount  of  fresh  fuel  to  their  fires,  and  started  on.  They 
made  a  detour  to  the  north  in  order  to  deceive  the  sav- 
ages as  much  as  possible  as  to  their  real  course.  The 
ruse  had  the  desired  effect,  for  after  travelling  about  ten 
miles  farther,  they  slept  soundly  until  the  next  morning, 
without  fires,  on  a  delicious  piece  of  green  sod. 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  45 

At  the  first  streak  of  dawn  the  men  were  in  their  sad- 
dles again,  having  outwitted  the  Indians  completely.  It 
was  about  the  first  of  June ;  and  one  day,  soon  after  they 
had  gotten  rid  of  their  savage  spies,  one  of  the  party  was 
stricken  down  with  a  severe  sickness,  and  they  were  com- 
pelled to  lie  in  camp  and  attend  to  the  sufferings  of  their 
unfortunate  comrade.  He  had  a  high  fever,  grew  deliri- 
ous, and  as  in  those  days  bleeding  was  considered  a  pan- 
acea for  all  the  ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  the  captain  made 
several  abortive  attempts  to  draw  the  diseased  blood  from 
the  poor  man,  but  failed  completely.  He  also  dosed  his 
victim  with  copious  draughts  of  calomel,  but  the  result 
was  far  from  salutary  ;  the  man  grew  worse,  but  the 
party  determined  to  remain  with  him  until  he  did  get  bet- 
ter or  death  relieved  him  of  his  sufferings.  Accordingly, 
to  make  themselves  more  secure  from  probable  attacks  of 
the  Indians,  they  threw  up  a  rude  breastwork  of  earth, 
behind  which  they  established  themselves  and  felt  there- 
after a  greater  degree  of  security. 

Some  of  the  men  were  despatched  on  a  hunt  for  meat, 
and  shortly  returned  with  part  of  the  carcass  of  a  young 
buffalo  cow,  and  one  antelope,  which  was  the  first  they 
had  been  able  to  kill.  The  man  who  killed  it  said  that 
he  resorted  to  the  tactics  generally  adopted  by  the  Ind- 
ians. The  timid  animal  would  not  allow  him  to  ap- 
proach within  rifle-shot,  until  he  had  excited  its  curiosity 
by  fastening  a  handkerchief  on  the  end  of  his  ramrod. 
As  soon  as  the  antelope  saw  it,  it  gradually  walked 
toward  him  until  so  near  that  he  was  assured  that  his 
piece  would  carry  that  far.  It  actually  came  within 
thirty  yards  of  him,  and  he  shot  it  while  lying  prone  on 
the  ground,  the  graceful  animal  noticing  nothing  but  the 
white  rag  that  had  attracted  its  attention. 

On  the  afternoon  of  that  day  a  band  of  savages,  mounted 
on  fine  horses,  made  their  appearance  near  the  camp,  and 


46  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

looked  Upon  the  white  men  witli  great  curiosity.  It  was 
soon  learned  that  they  were  Pawnees,  and  with  some  little 
trouble  they  were  enticed  to  come  in,  and  a  talk  was  had 
with  their  leader.  They  proved  to  be  a  party  out  after 
some  Osages  who  had  stolen  a  number  of  horses.  They 
had  been  lucky  enough  to  overtake  them,  and  had  killed 
nearly  all  the  thieves,  regained  their  horses,  and  had  a 
number  of  the  enemies'  scalps.  The  Pawnees  had  met 
Captain  Lewis  the  year  before,  and  having  received  some 
presents  from  him  were  inclined  to  regard  the  whites  as 
a  friendly  people.  This  impression  the  captain  further 
confirmed  by  himself  making  them  gifts  of  some  tobacco 
and  trifling  trinkets.  They  were  shown  around  the  camp, 
and  seemed  to  sympathize  deeply  with  the  sick  man,  who 
was  lying  on  his  blankets  in  a  dying  condition.  They 
gathered  some  roots  from  the  prairie,  and  assured  the 
captain  that  if  the  man  would  take  them  he  would  cer- 
tainly recover  ;  they  also  urged  their  manner  of  sweating 
and  bathing,  but  the  appliances  were  not  at  hand,  so  the 
advice  had  to  be  declined.  ^ 

That  evening  the  sick  man  died ;  an  event  that  was 
looked  for,  but  not  so  soon.  His  body  was  immediately 
wrapped  in  his  blanket  and  deposited  in  a  grave.  On  the 
bark  of  a  tree  standing  near,  his  name,  "  William  Hamil- 
ton," and  the  date  of  his  death  were  rudely  carved  with  a 
jack-knife  by  one  of  the  party. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  occupants  of  the  camp  were 

1  An  Indian  vapour-bath,  or  sweatino'-liouse,  is  a  square  six  or  eight  feet 
deep,  usually  built  against  a  river  bank,  by  dainniing  up  the  other  three 
sides  with  mud,  and  covering  the  top  completely,  excepting  an  opening 
about  two  feet  wide.  The  bather  gets  into  the  hole,  taking  with  him  a 
number  of  stones  that  have  been  lieated,  and  a  vessel  filled  with  water. 
After  seating  himself  he  begins  to  pour  the  water  on  the  hot  stones,  until 
the  steam  generated  is  sufficient  to  answer  his  purpose.  When  he  has 
perspired  freely,  he  goes  out  and  plunges  in  the  stream,  the  colder  the 
water  the  better. 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  47 

shocked  at  the  sight  of  a  pack  of  Avolves  most  industri- 
ously at  work  on  the  grave  trying  to  unearth  the  body  of 
their  unfortunate  comrade.  All  the  men  suddenly  and 
almost  simultaneously  attempted  to  fire  their  rifles  at  the 
pack,  but  were  checked  by  the  captain,  wdio  urged  that 
the  report  of  their  arms  might  bring  down  upon  them  a 
band  of  Indians  who  were  not  so  friendly  as  the  Pawnees. 
With  great  difficulty  the  wolves  were  driven  off,  and  the 
grave  was  covered  with  heavy  logs  and  the  largest  stones 
that  could  be  procured  in  the  vicinity. 

The  party  then  continued  on  their  journey,  feeling  very 
sad  over  the  loss  of  Hamilton,  for  he  was  beloved  by  all 
on  account  of  his  sterling  qualities. 

In  the  afternoon  a  great  commotion  was  noticed  far 
ahead  of  them  on  the  jDrairie.  At  first  they  could  not 
determine  its  cause,  but  presently  the  captain,  bringing 
his  glass  to  bear  upon  the  objects,  discovered  it  to  be  a 
small  band  of  wolves  in  full  chase  after  a  superannuated 
buffalo  bull,  which  had  been  driven  out  of  the  herd  by 
the  younger  ones. 

The  frightened  animal  was  coming  directly  toward  the 
part}"  with  the  excited  wolves  close  at  his  heels.  There 
were  twelve  wolves,  and  evidently  they  had  had  a  long 
chase,  as  both  they  and  the  buffalo  were  nearly  exhausted. 
The  party  stopped  to  witness  the  novel  fight,  a  scene  so 
foreign  to  an3^thing  they  had  witnessed  before.  The 
wolves  were  close  around  the  buffalo,  snapping  inces- 
santly at  his  heels,  in  their  endeavour  to  hamstring  him. 
They  did  not  hold  on  like  a  dog,  but  at  every  jump  at  the 
poor  beast  they  would  bring  away  a  mouthful  of  his  flesh, 
which  they  gulped  down  as  they  ran.  So  fierce  was  the 
chase  that  the  famishing  wolves  did  not  observe  the  men 
until  they  came  within  ten  yards  of  them  ;  even  then  they 
did  not  appear  to  be  much  frightened,  but  scampered  off 
a  short  distance,  sat  on  their  haunches,  licked  their  bloody 


48  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

chops,  and  appeared  to  be  waiting  with  the  utmost  impa- 
tience to  renew  the  chase  again.  The  buffalo  had  suf- 
fered severel};',  and  he  was  ultimately  brought  to  the 
ground.  The  party  left  him  to  his  fate,  and  as  they  rode 
away  they  could  see  the  ravenous  pack,  with  fresh  impet- 
uosity, tearing  the  poor  beast  to  pieces  with  true  canine 
ferocity. 

That  evening,  after  the  party  had  fixed  their  camp  for 
the  night,  two  young  Indians,  a  man  and  a  squaw,  rode 
up  and  alighted  in  the  midst  of  the  company,  apparently 
worn  out  from  hard  riding.  Their  sudden  appearance 
filled  the  company  with  amazement,  and  the  safety  of  all 
demanded  an  immediate  explanation,  for  they  all  thought 
that  the  young  savage  might  be  a  runner  or  spy  of  some 
hostile  band,  who  were  meditating  an  attack  upon  them. 
But  they  were  rather  nonplussed  upon  seeing  the  youth- 
ful maiden ;  they  could  not  believe  that  their  first  con- 
jectures were  correct,  her  presence  precluded  such  a 
possibility.  They  had  been  told  by  Big  White  that  war- 
parties  never  encumbered  themselves  with  women,  and 
the  jaded  condition  of  the  young  people's  horses  to  some 
extent  allayed  their  fears,  for  it  was  evident  the  Indians 
had  made  a  long  and  severe  journey. 

The  captain  requested  the  Indian  who  had  accompanied 
his  party  thus  far  to  interrogate  them  as  to  what  was  their 
destination,  and  why  they  had  come  so  unceremoniously 
into  the  camp.  It  was  soon  learned  that  the  boj^  was  a 
Pawnee  wdio  had  been  captured  by  a  band  of  Sioux  a  year 
or  more  ago,  and  was  carried  by  them  to  their  village  far 
up  the  Missouri,  in  which  he  had  remained  a  prisoner  un- 
til an  opportunity  had  offered  to  make  his  escape.  The 
young  girl  with  him  was  a  Sioux,  for  whom  he  had  con- 
ceived a  liking  while  among  her  tribe. 

Their  story,  divested  of  the  crude  manner  in  wliicli  it 
was  interpreted  by  the  Mandan  and  put  into  intelligent 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  49 

English,  was  as  follows  :  — The  boy  belonged  to  the  Pawnee 
Loups,  whose  tribe  lived  on  the  Wolf  Fork  of  the  Platte. 
One  day,  in  company  with  several  of  his  young  comrades, 
he  had  gone  down  to  the  river  to  indulge  in  the  luxury 
of  a  swim,  and  wliile  they  Avere  amusing  themselves  in 
the  water,  a  raiding  band  of  the  Tetons  came  suddenly 
upon  them,  making  a  prisoner  of  him  while  the  others 
managed  to  make  their  escape.  He  was  instantly 
snatched  up,  tied  on  a  horse,  and  hurried  away.  The 
animal  he  rode  was  led  by  one  of  the  band,  and  goaded 
on  by  another  who  followed  immediately  behind.  They 
travelled  night  and  day  until  they  reached  a  point  entirely 
free  from  the  possibility  of  being  followed,  and  then  he 
was  leisurely  conveyed  to  the  main  village  at  the  Great 
Bend  of  the  Missouri.  As  their  prisoner  happened  to  be 
the  son  of  a  grand  chief  of  the  Pawnees,  he  was  greatly 
prized  as  a  captive,  and,  on  that  account,  was  placed  in 
the  family  of  a  principal  chief  of  the  Tetons.  He  was 
only  sixteen  years  old  according  to  his  statement,  but  he 
was  already  fully  five  and  a  half  feet  high,  and  one  of  the 
handsomest  and  best  proportioned  Indians  that  Captain 
Williams  had  ever  seen. 

He  said  that  his  name  was  Do-ran-to,  and  that  it  is 
frequently  the  lot  of  Indian  captives,  to  some  extent,  to 
occupy  the  relation  of  servants  or  slaves  to  their  captors, 
and  to  be  assigned  to  those  menial  and  domestic  offices 
which  are  never  performed  by  men  among  the  Indians, 
but  constitute  the  employment  of  the  women.  To  be 
compelled  to  fill  such  a  position  in  the  village  was 
very  mortifying  to  the  Indian  pride  of  Do-ran-to,  the  heir 
to  a  chieftainship  in  his  own  tribe ;  but  he  became  some- 
what reconciled  to  it,  as  it  threw  him  in  the  company  of  a 
beautiful  daughter  of  the  principal  man  in  the  village, 
whose  name  was  Ni-ar-gua. 

Do-ran-to  was  never  permitted  to  go  to  war  or  to  hunt 


60  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

the  buffalo,  a  mode  of  life  too  tame  and  inactive  for  one  of 
his  restless  spirit;  but  the  compensation  was  in  the  frequent 
opportunities  it  gave  him  of  walking  and  talking  with  the 
beautiful  Ni-ar-gua,  over  whose  heart  he  had  soon  gained 
a  complete  victory. 

It  would  not  do,  however,  for  the  daughter  of  a  distin- 
guished chief  to  be  the  wife  of  a  captive  slave,  belonging, 
too,  to  a  tribe  toward  which  the  Tetons  entertained  a 
hereditary  hostility.  It  would  be  a  flagrant  violation  of 
every  rule  of  Indian  etiquette.  The  mother  of  the  youth- 
ful Ni-ar-gua,  like  her  white  match-making  sisters,  soon 
noticed  the  growing  familiarity  of  the  two  lovers,  and  she 
like  a  good  wife  reported  the  matter  to  her  husband,  the 
chief.  The  intelligence  was  entirely  unexpected,  and  by 
no  means  very  agreeable  to  his  feeling  of  pride,  so,  after 
the  savage  method  of  disciplining  refractory  daughters, 
Ni-ar-gua  was  not  only  roughly  reproved  for  her  temerity, 
but  received  a  good  lodge-poling  from  her  irate  father, 
besides.  He  also  threatened  to  shoot  an  arrow  through 
the  heart  of  Do-ran-to  for  his  impudent  pretensions.  The 
result,  however,  of  the  attempt  to  break  the  match,  as  in 
similar  cases  in  civilized  life,  was  not  only  unsuccessful, 
but  served  to  increase  the  flame  it  was  intended  to  extin- 
guish, and  to  strengthen  instead  of  dissolve  the  attach- 
ment between  the  two. 

If  now  their  partiality  for  each  other  was  not  visible 
and  open,  they  were  none  the  less  determined  to  carry  out 
their  designs.  When  the  young  Pawnee  perceived  that 
there  were  difficulties  in  the  way,  which  would  ever  be 
insuperable  while  he  remained  a  prisoner  among  the 
Tetons,  he  immediately  conceived  the  idea  of  eloping  to 
his  own  people,  and  embraced  the  first  opportunity  to 
apprise  Ni-ar-gua  of  his  design.  The  proposition  met 
Avith  a  hearty  response  on  her  part.  She  was  ready  to  go 
with  him  wherever  he  went,  and  to  die  where  he  died. 


THE   OLD   TltAPPEKS  61 

Now  there  was  a  young  warrior  of  her  own  tribe  who 
also  desired  the  hand  of  the  Teton  belle,  and  he  greatly 
envied  the  position  Do-ran-to  occupied  in  the  eyes  of  Ni- 
ar-gua.  In  fact,  he  entertained  the  most  deadly  hate 
toward  the  Pawnee  captive,  and  suffered  no  opportunity 
to  show  it  to  pass  unimproved.  Do-ran-to  was  by  no 
means  ignorant  of  the  young  warrior's  feelings  of  jealousy 
and  hate,  but  he  felt  his  disability  as  an  alien  in  the  tribe, 
and  pursued  a  course  of  forbearance  as  most  likely  to 
ensure  the  accomplishment  of  his  designs.  Still,  there 
were  bounds  beyond  which  his  code  of  honour  would  not 
suffer  his  eneni}^  to  pass.  On  one  occasion,  the  young 
brave  offered  Do-ran-to  the  greatest  and  most  intolerable 
insult  which  in  the  estimation  of  Western  tribes  one  man 
can  give  to  another. 

The  person  on  whom  this  indignity  is  cast,  by  a  law 
among  the  tribes,  may  take  away  tlie  life  of  the  offender 
if  he  can ;  but  it  is  customary,  and  thought  more  honour- 
able, to  settle  the  difficulty  by  single  combat,  in  which  the 
parties  may  use  the  kind  of  weapons  on  which  they 
mutually  agree.  Public  sentiment  will  admit  of  no  com- 
promise. If  no  resistance  is  offered  to  the  insult,  the 
person  insulted  is  thenceforth  a  disgraced  wretch,  a  dog, 
and  universally  despised.  Do-ran-to  forthwith  demanded 
satisfaction  of  the  young  Sioux,  who,  by  the  way,  was 
only  too  anxious  to  give  it,  being  full  of  game  and  mettle, 
as  well  as  sanguine  as  to  the  victory  he  would  gain  over 
the  hated  young  Pawnee.  They  agreed  to  settle  their 
difficulty  by  single  combat,  and  the  weapons  to  be  used 
were  war-clubs  and  short  knives.  A  suitable  place  was 
selected.  The  whole  village  of  the  Tetons  emptied 
itself  to  witness  the  combat.  Men,  women,  and  children 
swarmed  about  the  arena.  The  two  3"outhful  combatants 
made  their  appearance,  stark  naked,  and  took  their 
positions  about  thirty  yards  apart.     Just  when  the  signal 


52  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

was  given,  Do-ran-to's  eye  caught  that  of  his  betrothed 
Ni-ar-gua  in  the  crowd.  Then  said  his  heart,  "  Be  strong 
and  my  arm  big  !  "     TJiere  was  no  fear  then  in  Do-ran-to. 

As  the  champions  advanced  toward  each  other,  the 
Sioux  was  too  precipitate,  and  by  the  impulse  of  the 
charge  was  carried  rather  beyond  Do-ran-to,  who,  being 
more  cool  and  deliberate,  gave  him,  as  he  passed,  a  blow 
on  the  back  of  the  neck  with  his  war-club  that  perfectly 
stunned  him  and  brought  him  to  the  ground.  Do-ran-to 
then  sprang  upon  him  and  despatched  him  by  a  single 
thrust  of  his  knife.  The  relatives  of  the  unfortunate 
Sioux  raised  a  loud  lament,  and,  with  that  piteous  kind  of 
howling  peculiar  to  savages,  bore  him  aAvay.  Do-ran-to 
was  now  regarded  as  a  young  brave,  and  was  greatly 
advanced  in  the  general  esteem  of  the  village.  He  must 
now  be  an  adopted  son,  and  no  longer  a  woman,  but  go  to 
war,  and  hunt  the  buffalo,  the  elk,  and  the  antelope. 

The  father  of  Ni-ar-gua,  however,  must  in  this  matter 
be  excepted.  In  the  general  excitement  in  behalf  of  the 
lucky  captive  he  lagged  behind,  and  Avas  reserved  and 
sullen.  Having  conceived  a  dislike  for  him,  he  was  not 
inclined  to  confer  upon  him  the  honours  he  had  so  fairly 
won.  And  then  it  would  not  do  to  appear  delighted  with 
the  valour  of  the  young  Pawnee.  Ni-ar-gua  was  his  fav- 
ourite child,  and  she  must  be  the  wife  of  some  distin- 
guished personage.  But  the  chief  was  doomed,  as  many 
a  father  is,  to  be  outwitted  by  his  daughter  in  matters  of 
this  kind.  At  a  time  when  he  was  absent,  holding  a 
council  with  a  neighbouring  tribe  of  the  Sioux  upon  great 
national  affairs,  Do-ran-to  picked  out  two  of  the  chief's 
best  horses  on  wliich  to  escape  with  the  girl  to  his  own 
tribe.  Ni-ar-gua  was  ready.  When  the  village  was  sunk 
in  a  profound  sleep,  she  met  him  in  a  sequestered  spot, 
bringing  a  supply  of  provisions  for  their  intended  trip. 
In  a  moment  they  were  in  their  saddles  and  away  ! 


THE   OLD    TRAPPERS  63 

They  were  not  less  than  three  "  sleeps  "  from  his  own 
people,  and  would  be  followed  by  some  of  the  Tetons  as 
long  as  there  was  any  hope  of  overtaking  them,  liy 
morning,  however,  there  would  be  such  a  wide  sj)ace 
between  them  and  their  pursuers  as  to  make  their  escape 
entirely  practicable,  if  no  mishap  befell  them  on  the  way. 
They  had  good  horses,  good  hearts,  a  good  country  to 
travel  over,  and  above  all  a  good  cause,  and  why  not  good 
luck  ? 

They  travelled  night  and  day,  never  sto23ping  any 
longer  than  was  absolutely  necessary  to  rest  their  horses. 
After  his  story  was  told,  the  captain  tried  to  prevail 
upon  the  young  couple  to  remain  with  the  company  until 
morning,  and  enjoy  that  rest  and  refreshment  which  he 
and  the  girl  so  much  needed  ;  but  the  gallant  young 
savage  said  that  they  had  not  slept  since  they  had  set  out 
on  their  flight,  nor  did  they  even  dare  to  think  of  closing 
their  eyes  before  they  should  reach  the  village  of  the 
Pawnees.  He  knew  that  he  would  be  pursued  as  long  as 
there  was  any  hope  of  overtaking  him  ;  and  he  also  knew 
what  his  doom  would  be  if  he  again  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Sioux.  Having  remained,  therefore,  in  the  camp 
scarcely  an  hour,  the  two  fugitive  lovers  were  again  on 
the  wing,  flying  over  the  green  prairie,  guided  by  the 
light  of  a  full  and  beautiful  moon,  and  animated  and  sus- 
tained by  the  purity  of  their  motives  and  the  hope  of  soon 
reaching  a  place  of  safety  and  protection. 

Captain  Williams'  party  could  not  but  admire  the 
courage  of  the  Teton  beauty,  the  cheerfulness,  and  even 
hilarity  that  she  manifested  while  in  their  camp.  When 
ready  to  start  off,  she  leaped  from  the  ground,  unassisted, 
into  her  Indian  saddle,  reined  up  her  horse,  and  was 
instantly  beside  him  with  whom  she  was  now  ready  to 
share  any  trial  and  brave  any  danger.  It  was  an  exhibi- 
tion of  female  fortitude,  that  kind  of  heroism,  peculiar  to 


54  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

the  sex  in  all  races,  which  elevates  woman  to  a  summit 
perfectly  inaccessible  to  man. 

The  party  moved  on  the  next  day,  and  the  utmost 
caution  was  necessary  to  prevent  it  from  being  cut  off, 
for  the  region  through  which  they  were  now  passing  was 
infested  with  many  bands  of  Sioux,  —  a  terror  to  all  other 
tribes  on  account  of  their  superior  numbers.  The  several 
bands  were  scattered  from  the  waters  of  the  Platte  to  the 
Black  Hills,  and  for  a  number  of  years  resisted  all  efforts 
made  by  various  expeditions  to  push  forward  to  the  upper 
tribes. 

One  day,  after  leaving  their  camp  where  the  Indian 
lovers  had  come  so  suddenly  upon  them,  a  large  herd  of 
buffaloes  was  observed  feeding  very  quietly  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  their  line  of  travel,  offering  those  an 
opportunity  who  desired  to  show  their  horsemanshij)  and 
skill  in  a  hunt.  Although  they  had  an  abundance  of 
meat,  and  it  was  the  purpose  of  the  captain  that  there 
should  be  no  more  shooting  than  was  absolutely  neces- 
sary, the  impetuous  Carson  asked  j^ermission  to  try  his 
hand. 

The  captain  reluctantly  granted  his  request,  as  it  wa^ 
nearly  sundown,  and  the  comjDany  had  come  to  its  accus- 
tomed halt.  The  more  experienced  of  the  men  urged 
Carson  not  to  venture  too  near  the  object  of  his  pursuit, 
nor  too  far  from  the  camp,  as  both  steps  might  be  accom- 
panied with  danger  to  all.  The  young  man  felt  it  to  be 
the  safer  plan  to  undertake  the  hunt  on  horseback,  and  as 
the  heavy  rifles  of  those  days  were  not  so  easily  handled 
as  the  modern  arm,  he  armed  himself  with  two  braces  of 
pistols.  The  buffalo  very  soon  observed  his  approach, 
became  frightened,  and  incontinently  put  off  at  full  speed. 
This  made  it  necessary  that  the  liunter  should  increase 
his  speed,  and  immediately  horse,  hunter,  and  buffalo  were 
out  of  sight  of  the  camp. 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  55 

Having  completed  their  evening  meal  and  grazed  their 
animals,  the  party  would  have  moved  on,  but  Carson  had 
not  yet  returned.  Night  came  on  rapidly  and  still  he 
did  not  make  his  appearance.  Many  fears  for  his  safety 
were  now  entertained  in  the  camp,  and  the  suspicious 
circumstance  of  his  prolonged  absence  generally  pre- 
vented the  men  from  sleeping  at  all  that  night.  Early  in 
the  morning  a  party  went  out  to  hunt  him,  and  without 
much  difficulty  found  him.  He  was  sitting  on  a  large 
rock  near  the  stream,  perfectly  lost.  Some  of  the  men 
while  looking  for  him  had  discovered  him  when  about  a 
mile  away,  and  naturally  supposed  he  was  an  Indian,  as 
they  could  see  no  horse,  and  were  very  near  leaving  him 
to  his  fate  ;  but  the  thought  that  they  might  be  mistaken 
prompted  them  to  approach,  and  they  recognized  him. 
According  to  his  story  he  chased  the  buffalo  for  five  or 
six  miles,  and  for  some  time  could  not  induce  his  horse  to 
go  near  enough  to  the  animals  for  him  to  use  his  pistols 
with  any  effect.  After  repeated  unsuccessful  attempts, 
however,  he  was  enabled  to  ride  up  to  the  side  of  an 
immense  bull,  and  commenced  to  fire  at  him  as  he  ran. 
His  repeated  shots  threw  the  animal  into  the  greatest 
rage,  and  as  horse,  bull,  and  rider  were  dashing  down  the 
slope  of  the  hill,  the  infuriated  bull  suddenly  stopped 
short,  turned  round,  and  began  to  battle.  The  horse,  not 
trained  to  such  dangerous  tactics,  following  immediately 
behind  the  bull,  became  at  the  moment  j)erfectly  unman- 
ageable, rushed  upon  the  horns  of  the  buffalo,  and  his 
rider  was  thrown  headlong  to  the  ground.  When  he 
had  recovered  himself,  and  got  on  his  feet  again,  he  saw 
the  buffalo  running  off  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him, 
but  found  that  his  horse  was  so  badly  wounded  as  to  be 
of  no  further  use  to  him.  When  he  gathered  his  senses, 
he  would  have  gladly  gone  back  to  the  camp,  but  in  the 
excitement  of  the  chase  he  had  paid  no  attention  to  the 


66  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

direction  he  was  going,  and  was  absolutely  lost.  He 
wandered  about,  and  at  last  coming  to  a  willow  copse 
crawled  in  and  slept  until  morning.  At  the  first  streak 
of  dawn  he  crawled  out  of  his  hiding-jjlace,  and  very 
cautiously  examined  the  prairie  all  around  him  to  learn 
whether  any  Indians  had  been  prowling  about.  Observ- 
ing nothing  that  indicated  any  danger,  he  set  out  with 
the  intention  of  finding  the  party,  and  had  tramped 
around  until  hunger  and  fatigue  had  compelled  him  to 
sit  down  where  they  had  found  him.  As  the  party 
returned  to  camp  they  discovered  Carson's  horse ;  he 
was  dead,  and  a  pack  of  hungr}^  wolves  had  already 
nearly  devoured  him.  In  fact  it  was  the  general  idea 
that  the  horse  had  been  killed  by  the  wolves,  as  the 
whole  country  was  infested  by  them,  and,  scenting  the 
blood  of  the  wounded  animal,  soon  put  an  end  to  his 
miser3\  They  had  commenced  upon  the  saddle,  and  had 
so  torn  and  chewed  it  that  it  was  perfectly  useless. 

UjDon  his  arrival  in  camp  the  crestfallen  Carson  was 
asked  a  hundred  questions,  but  he  did  not  feel  like  being 
taunted,  as  he  had  gone  without  a  morsel  to  eat  for  fifteen 
hours,  had  undergone  great  fatigue,  and  was  considerably 
bruised  from  his  tumble  off  his  horse. 

Several  nights  after  Carson's  escapade,  about  an  hour 
after  dark  the  party  saw  before  them  a  light  which  they 
thought  might  indicate  the  proximity  of  an  Indian  camp. 
As  some  of  the  men  who  had  been  out  to  reconnoitre 
approached  it,  they  discovered  they  were  not  mistaken  in 
their  surmises,  and  upon  their  return  to  camp  and  report- 
ing what  they  had  seen,  the  captain  thought  it  a  wise  plan 
to  move  out  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  Indians  whom 
they  Iiad  seen  numbered  about  a  hundred,  and  they  were 
seated  around  about  fifteen  fires;  some  of  them  were 
women  and  they  appeared  to  be  very  busy  drying  meat; 
the  party  had  evidently  been  out  on  a  hunt.     A  large 


THE   OLD   TRAPPERS  57 

number  of  horses  were  grazing  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
camp,  and  the  majority  of  the  warriors  were  smoking 
their  pipes,  while  their  squaws  were  hard  at  work. 

Captain  Williams  pushed  ahead  all  that  night  and  the 
greater  portion  of  the  next  day  before  he  dared  to  go  into 
camp.  They  continued  on  for  several  days  more,  then  made 
a  temporary  camp  for  the  purpose  of  trapping  for  beaver. 
In  a  short  time  the  men  and  horses  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  their  toilsome  journey.  The  latter  began  to  get 
fat,  their  feet  and  backs,  which  had  become  sore,  were  heal- 
ing up  rapidly,  and  they  were  soon  in  as  fine  a  condition 
as  when  they  left  St.  Louis.  The  men  were  having  a  good 
time,  securing  plenty  of  beaver,  and  the  camp  resounded 
with  laughter  at  the  jokes  which  were  passed  around. 

For  several  weeks  they  had  seen  no  signs  of  Indians, 
but  one  morning  one  of  the  men  discovered  that  an  Indian 
had  been  caught  in  a  trap,  from  which,  however,  he  had 
extricated  himself,  as  it  was  found  near  the  spot  where  it 
liad  been  set.  A  day  or  two  afterward,  ten  of  the  party 
left  the  camp  on  a  buffalo-hunt.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
chase  the  buffalo  were  not  more  than  a  mile  from  the 
camp,  but  they  were  pursued  for  more  than  three  or  four 
miles,  which  led  the  party  into  danger.  A  band  of  Black- 
feet,  numbering  at  least  a  hundred,  suddenly  appeared 
over  a  divide,  and,  splendidly  mounted  on  trained  ponies, 
came  toward  the  hunters  as  fast  as  their  animals  could 
carry  them.  Five  of  Captain  Williams'  men  made  their 
escape,  and  reached  the  camp,  but  the  remainder  were  cut 
off,  and  immediately  killed  and  scalped.  The  five  who 
made  their  escape  were  chased  to  within  a  half-mile  of  the 
camp  by  several  of  the  savages,  one  of  whom,  after  his 
comrades  had  wheeled  their  horses  on  seeing  the  men 
ready  for  them,  persistently  kept  on,  evidently  eager  to 
get  another  scalp.  He  paid  for  his  rashness  with  his  life, 
as  one  of  the  hunters  who  had  not  yet  discharged  his  rifle 


58  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

sent  a  bullet  after  him,  which  shot  him  through  and 
through,  and  he  tumbled  from  his  animal  stone  dead. 

Tlie  loss  of  five  men  from  a  party  which  originally 
numbered  only  twenty  had  a  very  depressing  effect  upon 
those  who  were  left,  and  Captain  Williams  felt  that  his 
situation  Avas  very  critical.  He  expected  every  moment 
to  see  a  large  band  of  the  Blackfeet  come  down  upon  him. 
He  was  now  certain  of  one  thing;  he  knew  that  his  party 
had  been  watched  by  the  savages  for  several  days,  as  they 
had  noticed  several  times,  during  the  past  week,  objects 
which  they  believed  to  have  been  wolves,  moving  on 
the  summits  of  the  divides,  but  after  their  unfortunate 
skirmish  with  the  Indians  they  felt  sure  that  what  they 
had  taken  to  be  wolves  were  in  fact  savages. 

The  fight  with  its  disastrous  results  had  occurred  late 
in  the  afternoon,  so  that  it  was  not  long  before  the  party 
made  their  first  camp  for  the  night.  The  horses  were  all 
brought  in  and  picketed  near,  the  traps  gathered  as  fast  as 
possible,  and  everything  made  ready  for  a  hasty  departure 
as  soon  as  darkness  should  close  in  upon  them.  Large 
fires  were  lighted  as  usual,  only  more  than  the  usual 
number  were  kindled,  and  at  midnight  the  sorrowful  party 
mounted  their  animals  and  set  off. 

They  travelled  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  walk 
for  fully  twenty-four  hours  before  they  dared  make 
another  halt,  but  they  soon  found  themselves  in  the 
country  of  the  Crows,  who  were  friendly  with  the  whites. 
The  first  village  they  encountered  was  a  very  large  one, 
and  the  chief  induced  them  to  remain  with  him  for  nearly 
a  week,  during  which  time  they  Avent  out  on  a  buffalo- 
hunt  with  their  newly  found  friends.  They  were  not 
satisfied,  however,  with  the  region,  it  being  not  nearly  so 
fruitful  in  beaver  as  the  country  south  of  the  Crows,  so 
they  made  a  detour  to  the  south. 

When  about  to  leave  the  generous  Crows,  one  of  Cap- 


THE   OLD    TRAPPERS  59 

tain  Williams'  men,  whose  name  was  Rose,  expressed  his 
intention  to  abandon  the  party  and  take  up  his  life  with 
the  Indians.  It  appears  that  while  Rose  was  in  the  vil- 
lage he  was  not  able  to  resist  the  charms  of  a  certain 
Crow  maiden,  whom  he  afterward  chose  as  his  wife,  with 
whom  he  lived  happily  for  several  years.  When  Rose 
joined  Captain  Williams'  party,  his  antecedents  were  en- 
tirely unknown  to  that  grand  old  frontiersman.  It  turned 
out  that  he  was  one  of  those  desperadoes  of  the  then  re- 
mote frontier,  who  had  been  outlawed  for  his  crimes  farther 
east,  and  whose  character  was  worse  than  any  savage,  with 
whom  even  now  such  men  sometimes  consort.  Rose  had 
formerly  belonged  to  a  gang  of  pirates  who  infested  the 
islands  of  the  Mississippi,  plundering  boats  as  they  trav- 
elled up  and  down  the  river.  They  sometimes  shifted  the 
scene  of  their  robberies  to  the  shore,  waylaid  voyagers  on 
their  route  to  New  Orleans,  and  often  perpetrated  the 
most  cold-blooded  murders.  When  the  villanous  horde  of 
cut-throats  was  broken  up.  Rose  betook  himself  to  the 
upper  wilderness,  and  when  Captain  Williams  was  form- 
ing his  company  at  St.  Louis,  he  came  forward  and  offered 
himself.  Captain  W^illiams  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  the 
sinister  looks  of  the  fellow,  suspecting  that  his  character 
Avas  not  good,  but  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to  induce  men 
to  join  an  expedition  fraught  with  so  much  daring  and 
danger.  So  the  refugee  was  drojjped  among  the  Crows, 
whose  habits  of  life  were  much  more  congenial  to  the  feel- 
ings of  such  a  man  than  the  restraints  of  civilization.^ 

1  Rose  lived  with  the  Crows  many  years,  became  a  great  man  among 
them,  could  speak  their  language  fluently.  He  was  a  giant,  and  fearless 
to  recklessness,  and  by  his  deeds  of  daring  became  one  of  the  first  braves 
of  the  tribe.  At  one  time,  in  a  desperate  fight  with  the  Blackfeet,  he  shot 
down  the  first  savage  who  opposed  him,  and  with  the  war-club  of  his 
victim  killed  four  others.  His  name  among  the  Crows  was  "  Che-ku- 
kaats,"  or  the  man  who  killed  five.  His  knowledge  of  the  country 
was  marvellous,  and  some  years  after  his  adoption  by  the  tribe,  he  was 


60  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

The  Crow  chief  at  the  time  of  the  visit  of  Captain  Will- 
iams' party  to  their  nation  was  Ara-poo-ish,  who  Avas 
succeeded  by  the  famous  Jim  Beckwourth,  who  remained 
at  the  head  of  the  tribe  for  many  years. 

When  Captain  Williams  arrived  at  the  headwaters  of 
the  Platte,  the  party  met  with  another  disaster.  Early 
one  morning  seven  of  the  men,  including  the  captain, 
went  out  to  bring  in  their  horses  which  had  been  turned 
out  to  graze  the  evening  before.  As  they  were  still  in  the 
country  of  the  Crows,  whom  they  regarded  as  their  firm 
friends,  they  had  not  exercised  their  usual  precaution  of 
securely  picketing  their  animals.  They  merely  had  tied 
their  two  forefeet  loosely  together  to  prevent  them  from 
stra3'ing  too  far,  while  they  retired  to  the  shelter  of  some 
friendly  timber  a  short  distance  away,  and  lying  down  on 
their  buffalo-robes,  went  to  sleep.  When  they  set  out 
for  their  animals  they  could  not  be  found.  A  trail,  how- 
ever, plainly  discernible  in  the  deep,  dewy  grass,  was  soon 
discovered,  very  fresh,  leading  across  a  low  divide.  They 
also  came  upon  several  of  the  rawhide  strips  by  which  their 
horses  had  been  hobbled.  These  were  not  broken,  but  had 
evidently  been  unfastened,  a  circumstance  that  filled  the 
minds  of  the  party  with  the  most  painful  anxiety.  They 
continued  on  the  trail  of  the  missing  animals,  to  the  top 
of  a  ridge,  where  they  were  suddenly  confronted  by  a 
band  of  about  sixty  Indians.  The  savages  appeared  to 
be  busy  preparing  an  attack  upon  tlie  party,  for  when 
the  Indians  observed  the  white  men  they  immediately 
mounted  their  ponies,  and  dashed  right  down  the  hill  tow- 

the  principal  guide  and  interpreter  for  Fitzpatrick  and  Sublette,  who  con- 
ducted a  trapping  expedition  sent  across  the  continent  by  General  Ashley. 
How  he  died  is  unknown  ;  one  rumour  says  from  his  licentious  habits, 
another  that  he  was  killed  by  some  of  his  adopted  brethren.  He  was 
a  heroic  vagabond,  but  the  redeeming  feature  of  his  life  was  that  he 
taught  the  Crows  to  cultivate  the  friendship  of  the  whites,  a  policy  which 
that  tribe  observed  for  years. 


THE    OLD   TRAPPERS  61 

ard  them,  at  the  same  moment  making  the  hills  echo  with 
their  diabolical  whoops.  Captain  Williams  urged  his  men 
to  make  their  escape  to  the  timber,  but  before  they  could 
reach  it  five  of  them  were  overtaken,  killed,  and  scalped ! 
The  captain  and  one  other  man  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  clump  of  trees,  though  very  closely  pursued.  The 
remaining  men  who  were  left  in  camp,  seeing  the  savages 
coming,  snatched  up  their  rifles,  and  each  hiding  himself 
behind  the  trunk  of  a  tree  opened  fire  upon  them.  That 
movement  caused  the  savages  to  wheel  around  and  dash 
back,  but  they  left  several  of  their  comrades  dead  and 
wounded  upon  the  ground.  In  a  few  moments  the  infuri- 
ated Indians  made  another  charge,  shouting  and  whoop- 
ing as  only  savages  can,  and  launched  a  shower  of  arrows 
into  the  timber.  The  underbrush  was  very  dense,  Avhich 
prevented  them  from  riding  into  the  timber,  and  also  from 
seeing  the  exact  whereabouts  of  Captain  Williams  and 
his  men.  It  was  a  most  fortunate  circumstance,  for  they 
would  have  been  cut  off  if  they  had  been  out  on  the  open 
prairie,  but  as  they  could  plainly  see  the  savages,  they  took 
careful  aim,  and  at  each  report  of  the  rifle  a  savage  was 
brought  to  the  ground.  The  Indians  made  four  succes- 
sive charges,  and  discovering  they  were  not  able  to  dis- 
lodge the  little  band  of  brave  white  men,  they  finally 
abandoned  the  fight  and  rode  away.  Nineteen  of  the 
Indians  were  killed  by  Captain  Williams'  party,  but  it 
was  a  sad  victory,  for  now  only  ten  men  were  left  of  the 
original  twenty,  and  they  were  without  a  single  horse  to 
ride  or  pack  their  equipage  ujDon. 

Certainly  expecting  that  the  savages  would  shortly  re- 
turn with  reenforcements,  the  sad  little  company  hurriedly 
gathered  up  their  furs  and  as  many  traps  as  the  ten  men 
could  carry,  and  travelled  about  ten  miles,  keeping  close 
to  the  timber.  When  darkness  came  on  they  crept  into  a 
very  dense  growth  of  underbrush,  where  they  passed  the 


62 


THE   CMIEAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 


greater  part  of  the  night  in  erecting  a  scaffold  upon 
which  tliey  cached  their  furs,  traps,  and  other  things 
which  they  found  inconvenient  to  carry. 

As  the  prospects  of  the  conipany  were  now  gloomy  in 
the  extreme,  the  spirits  of  the  men  drooped  and  their 
hearts  became  sad.  They  were  many  hundreds  of  miles 
from  any  settlement,  in  the  heart  of  a  wilderness  almost 
boundless,  and  beset  on  every  side  by  lurking  savages 
ready  at  any  moment  to  dasii  in  upon  them  when  an 
opportunity  offered. 

Of  course,  the  project  of  crossing  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  trapping  at  the  headwaters  of  the  Columbia  had  now 
to  be  abandoned.  They  wandered  about,  meeting  with 
various  adventures,  until  only  Captain  Williams  and  two 
others  of  the  party  were  left.  At  last  they  agreed  to 
separate,  the  two  intending  to  attempt  the  difficult 
passage  back  to  St.  Louis,  while  the  brave  captain  re- 
mained, and  finally  readied  the  great  Arkansas  Valley  in 
safety. 


Drying  Medt 


CHAPTER   III 


GENERAL    W.    H.    ASHLEY's    TRAPPING    EXPEDITION JIM    BECK- 

WOURTh's     story TWO     AXE KILL     FOURTEEN     HUNDRED 

BUFFALOES THE     SURROUND EXPEDITION     IS     DIVIDED 

BOATS    ARE    BUILT GREEN    RIVER    SUCK INDIANS    MURDER 

LE    BRACHE BECKWOURTH    MEETS    CASTENGA 


Jmies  P 


N  1812  General  William 
H.  Ashley,  the  head  of 
the  Rocky  Mountain 
Fur  Company,  trav- 
elled up  the  Platte 
Valley,  which  a  few 
years  previously  had 
been  traversed  by  Cap- 
tain Ezekiel  Williams, 
whose  routes  were  nearly 
the  same.  This  party  had 
a  particularly  hard  time. 
Before  they  reached  the 
buffalo  country  the  Indians  had 
driven  every  herd  away. 
In  the  company  there  were  two  Spaniards,  who  were 
one  morning  left  behind  at  camp  to  catch  some  horses 
that  had  strayed.  The  two  men  stopped  at  the  house  of 
a  respectable  white  woman,  and  finding  her  without  protec- 
tion, they  assaulted  her.  They  were  pursued  to  the  camp 
by  a  number  of  the  settlers,  who  made  the  outrage  known 
to  the  trappers.  They  all  regarded  the  crime  with  the 
utmost  abhorrence,  and  felt  mortified   that  any  of  their 

03 


64  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TUAIL 

party  sliould  be  guilty  of  conduct  so  revolting.  The  cul- 
prits were  arrested,  and  they  at  once  admitted  their  guilt. 
A  council  was  called  in  the  presence  of  the  settlers,  and 
the  men  were  offered  their  choice  of  two  punishments  : 
either  to  be  hanged  to  the  nearest  tree,  or  to  receive  one 
hundred  lashes  each  on  the  bare  back.  They  chose  the 
latter,  which  was  immediately  inflicted  upon  them  by  four 
of  the  trappers.  Having  no  cat-o'-nine-tails  in  their  pos- 
session, the  lashes  were  inflicted  with  hickor}'  withes. 
Their  backs  were  terribly  lacerated,  and  the  blood  flowed 
in  streams  to  the  ground.  The  following  morning  the  two 
Spaniards  and  two  of  the  best  horses  were  missing  from 
the  camp  ;  they  were  not  pursued,  liowever,  but  by  the 
tracks  it  was  discovered  they  had  started  for  New  Mexico. 

There  were  thirty-four  men  in  the  party,  including  the 
general,  and  a  harder-looking  set  for  want  of  nourish- 
ment could  hardly  be  imagined.  They  moved  forward 
hoping  to  find  game,  as  their  allowance  was  half  a  pint 
of  flour  a  day  per  man.  This  was  made  into  a  kind  of 
gruel.  If  it  happened  that  a  duck  or  goose  was  killed, 
it  was  shared  as  fairly  as  possible. 

There  were  no  jokes,  no  fireside  stories,  no  fun  ;  each 
man  rose  in  the  morning  with  the  gloom  of  the  preceding 
night  filling  his  mind;  they  built  their  fires  without  say- 
ing a  word,  and  partook  of  their  scanty  repast  in  silence. 

At  last  an  order  was  given  for  the  hunters  to  sally  out 
and  try  their  fortunes.  Jim  Beckwourth,  who  was  one 
of  the  party,  a  mere  youth  then,  tells  of  the  success  in 
the  following  words  :  — 

"  I  seized  my  rifle  and  issued  from  camp  alone,  feeling 
so  reduced  in  strength  that  my  mind  involuntarily  re- 
verted to  the  extremity  I  had  been  brought  to  b}'  my 
youthful  folly  in  coming  into  such  a  desert  waste.  About 
three  hundred  yards  from  the  camp  I  saw  two  teal  ducks  ; 
I  levelled  my  rifle,  and  handsomely  decapitated  one.    This 


JIM   BECKWOURTH  65 

was  a  temptation  to  ray  constancy  ;  appetite  and  conscien- 
tiousness had  a  long  strife  as  to  the  disposal  of  the 
booty.  I  reflected  that  it  would  be  but  an  inconsiderable 
trifle  to  the  mess  of  four  hungry  men,  while  to  roast  and 
eat  him  myself  would  give  me  strength  to  hunt  for  more. 
A  strong  inward  feeling  remonstrated  against  such  an 
invasion  of  the  rights  of  my  starving  messraates ;  but  if, 
by  fortifying  myself,  I  gained  ability  to  procure  some- 
thing more  substantial  than  a  teal  duck,  my  dereliction 
would  be  sufficiently  atoned  for,  and  my  overruling  appe- 
tite at  the  same  time  gratified. 

"  Had  I  admitted  my  messmates  to  the  argument,  they 
might  possibly  have  carried  it  adversely.  But  I  received 
the  conclusion  as  valid  ;  so,  roasting  it  without  ceremony 
in  the  bushes,  I  devoured  the  duck  alone,  and  felt  greatly 
invigorated  by  the  meal. 

"  Passing  up  the  stream,  I  pushed  forward  to  fulfil  my 
obligation.  At  the  distance  of  about  a  mile  from  the 
camp,  I  came  across  a  narrow  deer-trail  through  some 
bushes,  and  directly  across  the  trail,  with  only  the  centre 
of  his  body  visible  (his  two  extremities  being  hidden  by 
the  rushes),  not  more  than  fifty  yards  distant,  I  saw  a 
fine  large  buck  standing.  I  did  not  wait  for  a  nearer 
shot.  1  fired,  and  broke  his  neck.  I  despatched  him  by 
drawing  my  knife  across  his  throat,  and,  having  partially 
dressed  him,  hung  him  on  a  tree  close  by.  Proceeding 
onward,  I  met  a  large  wolf,  attracted,  probably,  by  the 
scent  of  the  deer.  I  shot  him,  and,  depriving  him  of  his 
meal,  devoted  him  for  a  repast  to  the  camj).  Before  I 
returned,  I  succeeded  in  killing  three  good-sized  elk, 
which,  added  to  the  former,  afforded  a  pretty  good  dis- 
play of  meat. 

"  I  then  returned  near  enough  to  the  camp  to  signal  them 
to  come  to  my  assistance.  They  had  heard  the  reports 
of  my  rifle,  and,  knowing  that  I  would  not  waste  ammuni- 


66  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

tion,  had  been  expecting  to  see  me  return  with  game. 
All  who  were  able  turned  out  at  my  summons,  and,  when 
they  saw  the  booty  awaiting  tliem,  their  faces  were  irradi- 
ated with  joy. 

"  Each  man  shouldered  his  load,  but  there  was  not  one 
capable  of  carrying  the  weight  of  forty  pounds.  The 
game  being  all  brouglit  mto  camp,  the  fame  of  Jim  Beck- 
wourth  was  celebrated  by  all  tongues.  Amid  all  this 
gratulation,  I  could  not  separate  my  thoughts  from  the 
duck  Avhich  had  supplied  my  clandestine  meal  in  the 
bushes.  I  suffered  them  to  appease  their  hunger  before 
I  ventured  to  tell  my  comrades  of  the  offence  of  which 
I  had  been  guilty.  All  justified  my  conduct,  declaring 
my  conclusions  obvious.  As  it  turned  out,  my  proceed- 
ing was  right  enough  ;  but  if  I  had  failed  to  meet  with 
any  game,  I  had  been  guilty  of  an  offence  which  would 
have  haunted  me  ever  after. 

"  The  following  day  we  started  up  the  river,  and,  after 
progressing  some  four  or  five  miles,  came  in  sight  of 
j)lenty  of  deer  sign.  The  general  ordered  a  halt,  and 
directed  all  hunters  out  as  before.  We  sallied  out  in 
different  directions,  our  general,  who  was  a  good  hunter, 
being  one  of  the  number.  At  a  short  distance  from  the 
camp  I  discovered  a  large  buck  passing  slowly  between 
myself  and  the  camp,  at  about  pistol-shot  distance.  As 
I  happened  to  be  standing  against  a  tree,  he  had  not 
seen  me.  1  fired,  the  ball  passed  through  his  body,  and 
whizzed  past  the  camp.  Leaving  him,  I  encountered  a 
second  deer  within  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  I  shot  him 
and  hung  him  on  a  limb.  Encouraged  with  my  success, 
I  climbed  a  tree  to  get  a  fairer  view  of  the  ground. 
Looking  around  from  my  elevated  position,  I  perceived 
some  large  dark-coloured  animal  grazing  on  the  side  of 
a  hill,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant.  I  was  determined 
to  have  a  shot  at  him,  whatever  he  might  be.     I  knew 


JIM   BECKWOURTH  67 

meat  ^Yas  in  demand,  and  that  fellow,  well-stored,  was 
worth  a  thousand  teal  ducks. 

"I  therefore  approaclied  with  the  greatest  precaution 
to  within  fair  rifle-shot  distance,  scrutinizing  him  very 
closely,  and  still  unable  to  make  out  what  he  was.  I 
could  see  no  horns  ;  if  it  was  a  bear,  I  thought  him  an 
enormous  one.  I  took  sight  at  him  over  luy  faithful 
rifle,  which  had  never  failed  me,  and  then  set  it  down, 
to  contemplate  the  huge  animal  still  further.  Finally  I 
resolved  to  let  fly.  Taking  good  aim,  I  pulled  the  trigger, 
the  rifle  cracked,  and  then  I  made  rapid  retreat  toward 
the  camp.  After  running  about  two  hundred  yards,  and 
hearing  nothing  of  a  movement  behind  me,  I  ventured  to 
look  around,  and  to  my  great  joy  I  saw  the  animal  had 
fallen. 

"  Continuing  my  course  to  camp,  I  encountered  tlie 
general,  who,  perceiving  blood  on  my  hands,  addressed 
me  :  '  Have  you  shot  anything,  Jim  ? ' 

"  I  replied,  '  Yes,  sir.' 

"  '  What  have  you  shot  ? ' 

"  '  Two  deer  and  something  else,'  I  answered. 

"  '  And  what  is  something  else  ?  '  he  inquired. 

"  '  I  do  not  know,  sir.' 

" '  What  did  he  look  like  ? '  the  general  interrogated. 
'  Had  he  horns  ? ' 

'' '  I  saw  no  horns,  sir.' 

" '  What  colour  was  the  animal  ? 

" '  You  can  see  him.  General,'  I  replied,  '  by  climbing 
yonder  tree.' 

"  The  general  ascended  the  tree  accordingly,  and,  look- 
ing through  his  spy-glass,  which  he  always  carried,  ex- 
claimed, 'A  buffalo,  by  heavens!'  and  coming  nimbly 
down  the  tree,  he  gave  orders  for  us  to  take  a  couple  of 
horses,  and  go  and  dress  the  buffalo,  and  bring  him  to 
camp. 


68  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

"I  suggested  tluit  two  horses  would  not  carry  the  load; 
six  were  therefore  despatclied  for  the  purpose,  and  they 
all  came  back  well  packed  with  the  remains. 

''  That  was  the  first  buffalo  1  had  ever  seen  though  I 
had  travelled  hundreds  of  miles  in  the  buffalo  country. 
The  conviction  weighing  upon  my  mind  that  it  was  a 
huge  bear  I  was  approaching  had  so  excited  me  that, 
although  within  fair  gun-shot,  I  actually  could  not  see 
his  horns.  The  general  and  my  companions  had  many 
a  hearty  laugh  at  my  expense,  he  often  expressing  wonder 
that  my  keen  eye  could  not,  when  close  to  the  animal, 
perceive  the  horns,  while  he  could  see  them  plainly  nearly 
two  miles  away. 

"  When  we  moved  up  the  river  again,  we  hoped  to  fall 
in  with  game,  though  unfortunately  found  but  little  in 
our  course.  When  we  had  advanced  some  twenty  miles 
we  halted.  Our  position  looked  threatening.  It  was 
midwinter,  and  everything  around  us  bore  a  gloomy 
aspect.  We  were  without  any  provisions,  and  we  saw 
no  means  of  obtaining  any.  At  this  crisis,  six  or  seven 
Indians  of  the  Pawnee  Loup  band  came  into  our  camp. 
Knowing  them  to  be  friendly,  we  were  overjoyed  to  see 
them.  The}-  informed  our  interpreter  that  their  village 
was  only  four  miles  distant,  whicli  at  once  accounted  for 
the  absence  of  game.  They  invited  us  to  their  lodges, 
where  they  could  supply  us  with  everything  we  needed, 
but  on  representing  to  them  our  scarcity  of  horses,  and 
the  quantity  of  peltry  Ave  had  no  means  of  packing, 
they  immediately  started  off  to  their  village.  Our  inter- 
preter accompanied  them,  in  quest  of  horses,  and  speedily 
returned  with  a  sufficient  number.  Packing  our  effects, 
we  accompanied  them  to  the  village.  Two  Axe  and  a 
Spaniard  named  Antoine  Behele,  chief  of  the  band,  form- 
ing part  of  our  escort. 

"  Arrived  at  their  village,  we  replaced  our  lost  horses 


JIM   BECKWOURTH  69 

by  purchasing  others  in  their  stead,  and  now  everything 
being  ready  for  our  departure,  our  general  informed  Two 
Axe  of  his  wish  to  get  on. 

"  Two  Axe  objected  :  '  My  men  are  about  to  surround 
the  buffalo,'  he  said  ;  '  if  you  go  now,  you  will  frighten 
them.  You  must  stay  four  days  more,  then  you  may  go.' 
His  word  was  law,  so  we  stayed  accordingly. 

"  Within  the  four  days  appointed  they  made  the  '  sur- 
round,' and  killed  fourteen  hundred  buffaloes.  The 
tongues  were  counted  by  General  Ashley  himself,  and 
thus  I  can  guarantee  the  assertion. 

"  There  were  engaged  in  this  hunt  from  one  to  two 
thousand  Indians,  some  mounted  and  others  on  foot. 
They  encompassed  a  large  space  where  the  buffalo  were 
contained,  and,  closing  in  around  them  on  all  sides,  formed 
a  complete  circle.  The  circle  at  first  enclosed  measured 
say  six  miles  in  diameter,  with  an  irregular  circumference 
determined  by  the  movements  of  the  herd.  When  the 
'  surround '  was  formed,  the  hunters  radiated  from  the 
main  body  to  the  right  and  left,  and  the  ring  was  entire. 
The  chief  then  gave  the  order  to  charge,  which  was  com- 
municated along  the  ring  with  lightning-like  speed  ; 
every  man  then  rushed  to  the  centre,  and  the  Avork  of 
destruction  began.  The  unhappy  victims,  finding  them- 
selves hemmed  in  on  every  side,  ran  this  way  and  that 
in  their  mad  efforts  to  escape.  Finding  all  chance  of 
escape  impossible,  and  seeing  their  slaughtered  fellows 
drop  dead  at  their  feet,  they  bellowed  with  fright,  and 
in  the  confusion  that  whelmed  them  lost  all  power  of 
resistance.  Tlie  slaughter  generally  lasted  two  or  three 
hours,  and  seldom  many  got  clear  of  the  weapons  of  their 
assailants. 

"  The  field  over  the  '  surround  '  presented  the  appear- 
ance of  one  vast  slaugliter-house.  He  who  had  been  the 
most  successful  in  the  work  of  devastation  was  celebrated 


70  THE  GREAT  SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

as  a  hero,  and  received  the  highest  honours  from  the  fair 
sex,  while  he  who  had  been  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  have 
killed  a  single  buffalo  was  jeered  at  and  ridiculed  by  the 
whole  band. 

"  The  '  surround '  accomplished,  we  received  permis- 
sion from  Two  Axe  to  take  up  our  line  of  march.  Ac- 
cordingly we  started  along  the  river,  and  had  only  pro- 
ceeded five  miles  from  the  village  when  we  found  that 
the  Platte  forked.  Taking  the  South  Fork,  we  journeyed 
on  some  six  miles  and  camped.  So  we  continued  every 
day,  making  slow  progress,  some  days  not  advancing 
more  than  four  or  five  miles,  until  we  had  left  the  Paw- 
nee villages  three  hundred  miles  in  our  rear.  We  found 
plenty  of  buffalo  along  our  route  until  we  approached 
the  Rocky  Mountains,  when  the  buffalo,  as  well  as  all 
other  game,  became  scarce,  and  we  had  to  resort  to  the 
beans  and  corn  supplied  to  us  by  the  Pawnees. 

"  Not  finding  any  game  for  a  number  of  days,  we  again 
felt  alarmed  for  our  safety.  The  snow  was  deep  on  the 
ground,  and  our  poor  horses  could  obtain  no  food  but  the 
bouffhs  and  bark  of  the  cottonwood  trees.  Still  we 
pushed  forward,  seeking  to  advance  as  far  as  possible,  in 
order  to  open  a  trade  with  the  Indians,  and  occupy  our- 
selves in  trapping  during  the  finish  of  the  season.  We 
were  again  put  upon  reduced  rations,  one  pint  of  beans 
per  day  being  the  allowance  to  a  mess  of  four  men,  with 
other  articles  in  proportion. 

"  We  travelled  on  till  we  arrived  at  Pilot  Butte,  where 
two  misfortunes  befell  us.  A  great  portion  of  our  horses 
were  stolen  by  the  Crow  Indians,  and  General  Ashley  was 
taken  sick,  caused,  beyond  doubt,  by  exposure  and  insuf- 
ficient fare.  Our  condition  was  growing  worse  and  worse  ; 
and,  as  a  measure  best  calculated  to  procure  relief,  we  all 
resolved  to  go  on  a  general  hunt,  and  bring  home  some- 
thing to  supply  our  pressing  necessities.     All  who  were 


JIM   BECKWOURTH  71 

able,  therefore,  started  in  different  directions,  our  custom- 
ary mode  of  hunting.  I  travelled,  as  near  as  I  could 
judge,  about  ten  miles  from  the  camp,  and  saw  no  signs 
of  game.  I  reached  a  high  point  of  land,  and,  on  taking 
a  general  survey,  I  discovered  a  river  which  I  had  never 
seen  in  this  region  before.  It  was  of  considerable  size, 
flowing  four  or  five  miles  distant,  and  on  its  banks  I 
observed  acres  of  land  covered  with  moving  masses  of 
buffalo.  I  hailed  this  as  a  perfect  godsend,  and  was 
overjoyed  with  the  feeling  of  security  infused  by  my 
opportune  discovery.  However,  fatigued  and  weak,  I 
accelerated  my  return  to  the  camp,  and  communicated  my 
success  to  my  companions.  Their  faces  brightened  up 
at  the  intelligence,  and  all  were  impatient  to  be  at  them. 

"■  The  general,  on  learning  ni}^  intelligence,  desired  us 
to  move  forward  to  the  river  with  what  horses  we  had 
left,  and  each  man  to  carry  on  his  back  a  pack  of  the 
goods  that  remained  after  loading  the  cattle.  He  farther 
desired  us  to  roll  up  snow  to  provide  him  with  a  shelter, 
and  to  return  the  next  day  to  see  if  he  survived.  The 
men,  in  their  eagerness  to  get  to  the  river  (which  is  now 
called  Green  River),  loaded  themselves  so  heavily  that 
three  or  four  were  left  with  nothing  but  their  rifles  to 
carry. 

"We  all  feasted  ourselves  to  our  hearts'  content  upon 
the  delicious,  coarse-grained  flesh  of  the  buffalo,  of  which 
there  was  an  unlimited  supply.  There  were,  besides, 
plenty  of  wild  geese  and  teal  ducks  on  the  river  —  the 
latter,  however,  I  very  seldom  ventured  to  kill.  One  day 
several  of  us  were  out  hunting  buft'alo,  the  general,  who, 
by  the  way,  was  a  very  good  shot,  being  among  the  num- 
ber. The  snow  had  blown  from  the  level  prairie,  and  the 
wind  had  drifted  it  in  deep  masses  over  the  margins  of 
the  small  hills,  through  which  the  buffalo  had  made  trails 
just  wide  enough  to  admit  one  at  a  time.     These  snow- 


72  THE  CHEAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

trails  had  become  quite  deep,  —  like  all  snow-trails  in  the 
spring  of  the  year,  —  thus  affording  us  a  fine  opportunity 
for  lurking  in  one  trail,  and  shooting  a  buffalo  in  another. 
The  general  had  wounded  a  bull,  which,  smarting  with 
pain,  made  a  furious  plunge  at  his  assailant,  burying  him 
in  the  snow  with  a  thrust  from  his  savage-looking  head 
and  horns.  I,  seeing  the  danger  in  which  he  was  placed, 
sent  a  ball  into  the  beast  just  behind  the  shoulder,  instantly 
dropping  him  dead.  The  general  was  rescued  from  almost 
certain  death,  having  received  only  a  few  scratches  in  the 
adventure. 

"After  remaining  in  camp  four  or  five  days,  the  gen- 
eral resolved  upon  dividing  our  party  into  detachments 
of  four  or  five  men  each,  and  sending  them  upon  differ- 
ent routes,  in  order  the  better  to  accomplish  the  object  of 
our  perilous  journe}',  which  was  the  collecting  of  all  the 
beaver-skins  jDossible  while  the  fur  was  yet  valuable. 
Accordingly  we  constructed  several  boats  of  buffalo- 
hides  for  the  purpose  of  descending  the  river  and  pro- 
ceeding along  any  of  its  tributaries  that  might  lie  in  our 
way. 

"  One  of  our  boats  being  finished  and  launched,  the 
general  sprang  into  it  to  test  its  capacit3^  The  boat  was 
made  fast  by  a  slender  string,  which  snapping  with  a  sud- 
den jerk,  the  boat  was  drawn  into  the  current  and  drifted 
awa}^  general  and  all,  in  the  direction  of  the  opposite 
shore. 

"  It  will  be  necessar}^  before  I  proceed  further,  to  give 
the  reader  a  description,  in  as  concise  a  manner  as  possible, 
of  this  '  Green  River  Suck.' 

"  We  were  camped,  as  we  had  discovered  during  our 
frequent  excursions,  at  the  head  of  a  great  fall  of  Green 
River,  where  it  passes  through  the  Utah  Mountains. 
The  current,  at  a  small  distance  from  our  camp,  became 
exceedingly  rapid,  and  drew  toward  the  centre  from  each 


JIM   BECKWOUKTH  73 

shore.  This  place  we  named  the  Suck.  This  fall  con- 
tinued for  six  or  eight  miles,  making  a  sheer  descent,  in 
the  entire  distance,  of  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  • 
The  river  was  filled  with  rocks  and  ledges,  and  frequent 
sharp  curves,  having  high  mountains  and  perpendicular 
cliffs  on  either  side.  Below  our  camp,  the  river  passed 
through  a  canon,  which  continued  below  the  fall  to  a  dis- 
tance of  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles.  Wherever  there 
was  an  eddy  or  a  growth  of  willows,  there  was  sure  to  be 
found  a  beaver  lodge ;  the  cunning  creatures  having 
selected  that  secluded,  and,  as  they  doubtless  considered, 
inaccessible  spot,  to  conceal  themselves  from  the  watchful 
eye  of  the  trapper. 

"  After  caching  our  peltry  and  goods  by  burying 
them  in  safe  places,  we  received  instructions  from  our 
general  to  rendezvous  at  the  '  Suck '  by  the  first  of  July 
following.  Bidding  each  other  adieu,  for  we  could  hardly 
expect  we  should  meet  again,  we  took  up  our  different 
lines  of  march. 

"  Our  party  was  led  by  one  Clements,  and  consisted  of 
six,  among  whom  was  the  boy  Baptiste  ;  he  always  insisted 
on  remaining  with  his  brother  (as  he  called  me).  Our 
route  was  up  the  river  —  a  country  that  none  of  us  had 
ever  seen  before  —  where  the  foot  of  the  white  man  has 
seldom,  if  ever,  left  its  print.  We  were  very  successful 
in  finding  beaver  as  we  progressed,  and  we  obtained  plenty 
of  game  for  the  wants  of  our  small  party.  Wherever  we 
hauled  up  a  trap,  we  usually  found  a  beaver,  besides  a 
considerable  number  we  killed  with  the  rifle. 

"  In  moving  up  the  river  we  came  to  a  small  stream  — 
one  of  the  tributaries  of  Green  River  —  which  we  named 
Horse  Creek,  in  honour  of  a  wild  horse  we  found  on  its 
banks.  The  creek  abounded  with  the  objects  of  our 
search,  and  in  a  very  few  days  we  succeeded  in  taking 
over  one  hundred  beavers,  the  skins  of  which  were  worth 


74  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

ten  dollars  per  pound  in  St.  Louis.  Sixty  skins,  when 
dried,  formed  a  pack  of  one  hundred  pounds.  After 
having  finished  our  work  on  Horse  Creek,  we  returned 
to  the  main  river,  and  proceeded  on,  meeting  with  very 
good  success,  until  we  encountered  another  branch,  which 
we  subsequently  named  Le  Brache  Creek,  from  our  com- 
rade who  was  murdered  b}^  the  Indians.  Our  success 
was  much  greater  here  than  at  any  point  since  leaving 
the  Suck,  and  we  followed  it  up  until  we  came  to  a  deep 
caiion,  in  wliich  we  camped. 

"  The  next  day,  while  the  men  were  variously  engaged 
about  the  camp,  happening  to  be  in  a  more  elevated  posi- 
tion than  the  others,  I  saw  a  party  of  Indians  approaching 
within  a  few  yards,  evidently  unaware  of  our  being  in 
their  neighbourhood.  I  immediately  shouted,  '  Indians  ! 
Indians  !  to  your  guns,  men  !  '  and  levelled  my  rifle  at 
the  foremost  of  them.  They  held  up  their  hands,  saying, 
'  Bueno  !  bueno  ! '  meaning  that  they  were  good  or  friendly; 
at  which  my  companions  cried  out  to  me,  '  Don't  fire  ! 
don't  fire  !  they  are  friendly  —  they  speak  Spanish.'  But 
we  were  sorry  afterward  we  did  not  all  shoot.  Our  horses 
had  taken  fright  at  the  confusion  and  ran  up  the  canon. 
Baptiste  and  myself  went  in  pursuit  of  them.  When  we 
came  back  with  them  we  found  sixteen  Indians  sitting 
around  our  camp  smoking,  and  jabbering  their  own  tongue, 
which  none  of  us  could  understand.  They  passed  the 
night  and  next  day  with  us  in  apparent  friendship. 
Thinking  this  conduct  assumed,  from  the  fact  that  they 
rather  overdid  the  thing,  we  deemed  it  prudent  to  retrace 
our  steps  to  the  open  prairie,  where,  if  they  did  intend  to 
commence  an  attack  upon  us,  we  should  have  a  fairer 
chance  of  defending  ourselves.  Accordingly  we  packed 
up  and  left,  all  the  Indians  following  us. 

"  The  next  day  they  continued  to  linger  about  the  camp. 
We  had  but  slight  suspicion  of  their  motives,  although,  for 


JIM   BECKWOURTH  75 

security,  we  kept  constant  guard  upon  them.  From  this 
they  proceeded  to  certain  liberties  (which  I  here  strictly 
caution  all  emigrants  and  mountaineers  against  ever  per- 
mitting), such  as  handling  our  guns,  except  the  arms  of 
the  guard,  piling  them,  and  then  carrying  them  together. 
At  length  one  of  the  Indians  shouldered  all  the  guns,  and, 
starting  off  with  them  ran  fifty  yards  from  camp.  Men- 
tioning to  my  mates  I  did  not  like  the  manoeuvres  of  these 
fellows,  I  started  after  the  Indian  and  took  my  gun  from 
him,  Baptiste  doing  the  same,  and  we  brought  them  back 
to  camp.  Our  companions  chided  us  for  doing  so,  saying 
we  should  anger  the  Indians  by  doubting  their  friendship. 
I  said  I  considered  my  gun  as  safe  in  my  own  hands  as  in 
the  hands  of  a  strange  savage  ;  if  they  chose  to  give  up 
theirs,  they  were  at  liberty  to  do  so. 

"  When  night  came  on,  we  all  lay  down  except  poor  Le 
Brache,  who  kept  guard,  having  an  Indian  with  him  to 
replenish  the  fire.  Some  of  the  men  had  fallen  asleep, 
lying  near  by,  when  we  were  all  suddenly  startled  by  a  loud 
cry  from  Le  Brache  and  the  instant  report  of  a  gun,  the 
contents  of  which  passed  between  Baptiste  and  myself, 
who  both  occupied  one  bed,  the  powder  burning  a  hole  in 
our  upper  blankets.  We  were  all  up  in  an  instant.  An 
Indian  had  seized  my  rifle,  but  I  instantly  wrenched  it 
from  him,  though  I  acknowledge  I  was  too  terrified  to 
shoot.  When  we  had  in  some  measure  recovered  from 
our  sudden  fright,  I  hastened  to  Le  Brache,  and  discovered 
that  a  tomahawk  had  been  sunk  in  his  head,  and  there  re- 
mained. I  pulled  it  out,  and  in  examining  the  ghastly 
wound,  buried  all  four  fingers  of  my  right  hand  in  his 
brain.  We  bound  up  his  head,  but  he  was  a  corpse  in  a 
few  moments. 

"  Not  an  Indian  was  then  to  be  seen,  but  we  well  knew 
they  were  in  the  bushes  close  by,  and  that,  in  all  prob- 
ability, we  should  every  one  share  the  fate  of  our  murdered 


76  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

comrade.  What  to  do  now  was  the  universal  inquiry. 
AVith  the  butt  of  my  rifle  I  scattered  the  fire,  to  prevent 
the  Indians  making  a  sure  mark  of  us.  We  then  proceeded 
to  pack  up  with  the  utmost  despatch,  intending  to  move 
into  the  open  prairie,  where,  if  they  attacked  us  again, 
we  could  at  least  defend  ourselves,  notwithstanding  our 
disparity  of  numbers,  we  being  but  five  to  sixteen. 

"  On  searching  for  Le  Brache's  gun,  it  was  nowhere  to 
be  found,  the  Indian  who  had  killed  him  having  doubtless 
carried  it  off.  While  hastily  packing  our  articles,  I  very 
luckily  found  five  quivers  well  stocked  with  arrows,  the 
bows  attached,  together  with  two  Indian  guns.  These 
well  supplied  our  missing  rifle,  for  I  had  practised  so 
much  with  bow  and  arrow  that  I  was  considered  a  good 
shot. 

"  When  in  readiness  to  leave,  our  leader  inquired  in 
which  direction  the  river  lay  ;  his  agitation  had  been  so 
great  that  his  memory  had  failed  him.  I  directed  the 
way,  and  desired  every  man  to  put  the  animals  upon  their 
utmost  speed  until  we  were  safely  out  of  the  willows,  which 
order  was  complied  with.  While  thus  running  the  gaunt- 
let, the  balls  and  arrows  whizzed  around  us  as  fast  as  our 
hidden  enemies  could  send  them.  Not  a  man  Avas 
scratched,  however,  though  two  of  our  horses  were 
wounded,  my  horse  having  received  an  arrow  in  the  neck, 
and  another  being  wounded  near  the  hip,  both  slightly. 
Pursuing  our  course  we  arrived  soon  in  the  open  ground, 
where  we  considered  ourselves  comparatively  safe. 

"  Arriving  at  a  small  rise  in  the  prairie,  I  suggested  to 
our  leader  that  this  would  be  a  good  place  to  make  a 
stand,  for  if  the  Indians  followed  us  we  had  the  advantage 
in  position. 

"  '  No,'  said  he,  'we  will  proceed  on  to  New  Mexico.' 

"  I  was  astonished  at  his  answer,  well  knowing  — 
though    but   slightly    skilled    in    geography  —  that    New 


JIM   BECKWUUUTH 


(  t 


Mexico  must  be  many  hundreds  of  miles  farther  south. 
However,  1  was  not  captain  and  we  proceeded.  Keeping 
the  return  track,  we  found  ourselves,  in  the  afternoon  of 
the  following  day,  about  sixty  miles  from  the  scene  of  the 
murder. 

"  The  assault  had  been  made,  as  we  afterward  learned, 
by  three  young  Indians,  who  were  ambitious  to  distinguish 
themselves  in  the  minds  of  their  tribe  by  the  massacre  of 
an  American  party. 


' Dluff^  o/  Cr^n  Rim. 


"We  were  still  descendino^  the  banks  of  the  Green 
River,  which  is  the  main  branch  of  the  Colorado,  wdien, 
about  the  time  mentioned  above,  I  discovered  horses  in 
the  skirt  of  the  woods  on  the  opposite  side.  My  com- 
panions pronounced  them  buffalo,  but  I  was  confident 
they  were  horses,  because  I  could  distinguish  white  ones 
among  them.  Proceeding  still  farther,  I  discovered  men 
with  the  horses,  my  comrades  still  confident  I  was  in 
error.  Speedily,  however,  they  all  became  satisfied  of  my 
correctness,  and  we  formed  the  conclusion  that  we  had 
come  across  a  party  of  Indians.     We  saw  by  their  ma- 


78  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

noeuvres  that  they  had  discovered  us,  for  they  were  then 
collecting  all  their  property  together. 

"  We  held  a  short  council,  which  resulted  in  a  deter- 
mination to  retreat  toward  the  mountains.  I,  for  one, 
was  tired  of  retreating,  and  refused  to  go  farther,  Bap- 
tiste  joining  me  in  my  resolve.  We  took  up  a  strong 
position  in  a  place  of  difficult  approach  ;  and  having  our 
o-uns  and  ammunition  and  an  abundance  of  arrows  for 
defence,  considering  our  numbers,  we  felt  ourselves  rather 
a  strong  garrison.  The  other  three  left  us  to  our  deter- 
mination to  fall  together,  and  took  to  the  prairie ;  but, 
changing  their  minds,  they  returned,  and  joined  us  in 
our  position,  deeming  our  means  of  defence  better  in  one 
body  than  when  divided.  We  all,  therefore,  determined 
to  sell  our  lives  as  dearly  as  possible  should  the  enemy 
attack  us,  feeling  sure  that  we  could  kill  five  times  our 
number  before  we  were  overpowered,  and  that  we  should, 
in  all  probability,  beat  them  off. 

"  By  this  time  the  supposed  enemy  had  advanced  toward 
us,  and  one  of  them  hailed  us  in  English  as  follows  :  — 

"  '  Who  are  you  ?  ' 

'"AVe  are  trappers.' 

"  '  What  company  do  you  belong  to  ?  ' 

"'General  Ashley's.' 

" '  Hurrah  I  hurrah  !  hurrah  I  '  they  all  shouted,  and 
we,  in  turn,  exhausted  our  breath  in  replying. 

" '  Is  that  you,  Jim  Beckwourth  ? '  said  a  voice  from 
the  party. 

"  '  Yes.     Is  that  you,  Castenga  ?  '  I  replied. 

"He  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  there  arose  an- 
other hurrah. 

"  We  inquired  where  their  camp  was.  They  informed 
us  it  was  two  miles  below,  at  the  ford.  Baptiste  and 
myself  mounted  our  horses,  descended  the  bank,  plunged 
into  the  river,  and  were  soon  exchanging  salutations  with 


JIM   BECKWOURTH  79 

another  of  the  general's  okl  detachments.  They  also  had 
taken  us  for  Indians,  and  had  gathered  in  their  horses 
while  we  took  up  our  position  for  defence. 

"  That  night  was  spent  in  general  rejoicing,  in  relating 
our  adventures,  and  recounting  our  various  successes  and 
reverses.  There  is  as  much  heartfelt  joy  experienced  in 
falling  in  with  a  party  of  fellow-trappers  in  the  moun- 
tains as  is  felt  at  sea  when,  after  a  long  voyage,  a  friendly 
vessel  just  from  port  is  spoken  and  boarded.  In  both 
cases  a  thousand  questions  are  asked;  all  have  wives, 
sweethearts,  or  friends  to  inquire  after,  and  then  the  gen- 
eral news  from  the  States  is  taken  up  and  discussed. 

"'  The  party  we  had  fallen  in  with  consisted  of  sixteen 
men.  They  had  been  two  years  out ;  had  left  Fort  Yel- 
lowstone only  a  short  time  previously,  and  were  provided 
with  every  necessity  for  a  long  excursion.  They  had  not 
seen  the  general,  and  did  not  know  he  was  in  the  moun- 
tains. They  had  lost  some  of  their  men,  who  had  fallen 
victims  to  the  Indians,  but  in  trapping  had  been  generally 
successful.  Our  little  party  also  had  done  extremely  well, 
and  we  felt  great  satisfaction  in  displaying  to  them  seven 
or  eight  packets  of  sixty  skins  each.  We  related  to  them 
the  murder  of  Le  Brache,  and  every  trapper  boiled  with 
indignation  at  the  recital.  All  wanted  instantly  to  start 
in  pursuit,  and  revenge  upon  the  Indians  the  perpetration 
of  their  treachery  ;  but  there  was  no  probability  of  over- 
taking them,  and  they  suffered  their  anger  to  cool  down. 

"  The  second  day  after  our  meeting,  I  proposed  that 
the  most  experienced  mountaineers  of  their  party  should 
return  with  Baptiste  and  myself  to  perform  the  burial 
rites  of  our  friend.  I  proposed  three  men,  with  ourselves, 
as  sufficient  for  the  sixteen  Indians,  in  case  we  should  fall 
in  with  them,  and  they  would  certainly  be  enough  for  the 
errand  if  we  met  no  one.  ]\Iy  former  comrades  were  too 
tired  to  return. 


80 


THE  GREAT   SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


"  We  started  and  arrived  at  our  unfortunate  camp,  but 
the  body  of  our  late  friend  was  not  to  be  found,  though 
we  discovered  some  of  his  long  black  hair  clotted  with 
blood. 

"  On  raising  the  traps  which  we  had  set  before  our  pre- 
cipitate departure,  we  found  a  beaver  in  every  one  except 
four,  which  contained  each  a  leg,  the  beavers  having  am- 
putated them  with  their  teeth.  We  then  returned  to  our 
companions,  and  moved  on  to  Willow  Creek,  where  we 
were  handy  to  the  caches  of  our  rendezvous  at  the  Suck. 
It  was  now  about  June  1,  1822. 

"  Here  we  spent  our  time  very  pleasantly,  occup3dng 
ourselves  with  hunting,  fishing,  target-shooting,  foot- 
racing, gymnastic  and  sundry  other  exercises.  The 
other  detachments  now  came  in,  bringing  with  them 
quantities  of  peltry,  all  having  met  with  very  great  suc- 


cess. 


Tdnning,  ^Hide. 


CHAPTER  IV 

CAPTAIN     WILLIAM     SUBLETTe's     EXPEDITION     IN     1832 THEY 

MEET    NATHANIEL    J.     WYETH's    PAKTY ARRIVE    AT    GREEN 

RIVER    VALLEY  —  ATTACKED    BY    INDIANS ANTOINE    GODIN 

SHOOTS     A     BLACKFOOT      CHIEF FIGHT      BETWEEN      WHITES, 

FLATHEADS,      and       BLACKFEET AN       INDIAN       HEROINE 

MAJOR     STEPHEN      H.      LONG's      SCIENTIFIC       EXPEDITION       IN 

1820  —  CAPTAIN   Bonneville's  expedition  in   1832  —  lieu- 
tenant  JOHN   c.   Fremont's   expedition   in   1842  to  the 

WIND    RIVER    mountains 


yi  Gydlc. 


N   1832    Captain    William 
Sublette,!   a    partner    in 
the  Rocky  Mountain  Fur 
Company,  and  one  of  the 
most  active,  intrepid,  and 
renowned  leaders  in  the 
trade,  started  on_  a  trap- 
ping expedition  up  the  Platte 
Valley.      He  was  accompanied 
by   Robert  Campbell,  another 
of  the  pioneers  in  the  fur  in- 
.^         dustr}^,     and     sixty    men 
w^ell  mounted,  with  their 
camp  equipage  carried  on 
packhorses. 

At  Independence,  Missouri,  he  met  a  party  commanded 
by  Nathaniel  J.  Wyeth  of  Boston,  Massachusetts.  Mr. 
Wyeth,  having  conceived  the  idea  that  a  profitable  salmon 
fisherv  connected  with  the  fur  trade  might  be  established 


O 


1  See  Washington  living's  Astoria. 
81 


82  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River,  had  accordingly 
invested  a  great  deal  of  capital.  He  had  calculated,  as 
he  supposed,  for  the  Indian  trade,  and  had  enlisted  in  his 
employ  a  number  of  Eastern  men  who  had  never  been  West, 
and  were  totally  unacquainted  with  its  dangerous  travel. 

Wyeth  and  his  men  found  themselves  completely  at  a 
loss  when  they  reached  Independence,  the  then  frontier 
post.  None  of  them  except  the  leader  had  ever  seen  an 
Indian  or  handled  a  rifle.  They  had  neither  guide  nor 
interpreter,  and  were  totally  ignorant  of  the  way  to  deal 
with  the  savages,  or  provide  food  for  themselves  during 
long  marches  over  barren  plains  and  wild  mountains.  In 
this  predicament  Captain  Sublette  found  them,  and  in 
the  bigness  of  his  heart  kindly  took  them  in  tow.  Both 
parties  travelled  amicably  together,  and  they  arrived  with- 
out accident  on  the  upper  branches  of  the  Platte. 

Sublette,  Campbell,  Wyeth,  and  their  parties  pursued 
their  march  westward  unmolested,  and  arrived  in  the 
Green  River  Valley.  While  in  camp  one  night  on  the 
bank  of  a  small  stream,  toward  morning  a  band  of  Indians 
burst  upon  them,  yelling,  whooping,  and  discharging  a 
flight  of  arrows.  No  harm  was  done,  however,  excepting 
the  wounding  of  a  mule  and  the  stampeding  of  several  of 
their  horses. 

On  the  17th  of  July,  a  small  party  of  fourteen,  led  by 
Milton  Sublette,  brother  of  the  captain,  set  out  with  the 
intention  of  proceeding  to  the  southwest.  They  were 
accompanied  by  Sinclair  and  fifteen  free  trappers. 
Wyeth,  also,  and  his  New  England  band  of  beaver 
hunters  and  salmon  fishers,  now  dwindled  down  to  eleven, 
took  this  opportunity  to  prosecute  their  cruise  in  the 
wilderness,  accompanied  by  such  experienced  pilots. 

On  the  first  day  they  proceeded  about  eight  miles  to 
the  southeast,  and  encamped  for  the  night.  On  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  just  as  they  were  preparing  to   leave 


CAPTAIN  Sublette's  expedition  83 

camp,  they  observed  a  moving  mass  pouring  down  a 
detile  of  the  mountains.  They  at  first  supposed  them  to 
be  another  party  of  trappers,  whose  arrival  had  been 
daily  expected.  Wyeth,  however,  reconnoitred  them 
with  a  spy-glass,  and  soon  perceived  they  were  Indians. 
They  were  divided  into  two  bands,  forming,  in  the  whole, 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  men,  women,  and 
children.  Some  were  on  horseback,  fantastically  painted 
and  arrayed,  with  scarlet  blankets  fluttering  in  the  wind. 
The  greater  part,  however,  were  on  foot.  They  had  per- 
ceived the  trappers  before  they  were  themselves  dis- 
covered, and  came  down  yelling  and  whooping  into  the 
plain.  On  nearer  approach,  they  were  ascertained  to  be 
Blackfeet. 

One  of  the  trappers  of  Sublette's  brigade,  a  half-breed, 
named  Antoine  Godin,i  now  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode 
forth  as  if  to  hold  a  conference.  In  company  with  Antoine 
was  a  Flathead  Indian,  whose  once  powerful  tribe  had 
been  completely  broken  down  in  their  wars  with  the  Black- 
feet.  Both  of  them,  however,  cherished  the  most  venge- 
ful hostility  against  these  marauders  of  the  mountains. 
The  Blackfeet  came  to  a  halt.  One  of  the  chiefs  advanced 
singly  and  unarmed,  bearing  the  pipe  of  peace.  This 
overture  was  certainly  pacific  ;  but  Antoine  and  the  Flat- 
head Ave  re  predisposed  to  hostility,  and  pretended  to  con- 
sider it  a  treacherous  movement. 

"  Is  your  piece  charged  ? "  said  Antoine  to  his  com- 
panion. 

"It  is." 

"Then  cock  it  and  follow  me." 

They  met  the  Blackfoot  chief  half-way.  He  extended 
his  hand  in  friendship.     Antoine  grasped  it. 

^  He  was  the  son  of  an  Iroquois  hunter,  who  had  been  cruelly  mur- 
dered by  the  Blackfeet  on  a  small  stream  below  the  mountains  which 
still  bears  his  name. 


84  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

"  Fire  !  "  cried  lie. 

The  Flathead  levelled  his  piece,  and  brought  the  Black- 
foot  to  the  ground.  Aiitoiiie  snatched  off  his  scarlet 
blanket,  which  was  richly  ornamented,  and  galloped  away 
with  it  as  a  trophy  to  the  camp,  the  bullets  of  the  enemy 
whistling  after  him.  The  Indians  immediately  threw 
themselves  into  the  edge  of  a  swamp,  among  Avillows  and 
Cottonwood  trees,  interwoven  with  vines.  Here  they  be- 
gan to  fortify  themselves,  the  women  digging  a  trench 
and  throwing  up  a  breastwork  of  logs  and  branches,  deep 
hid  in  tlie  bosom  of  the  wood,  while  the  warriors  skir- 
mished at  the  edge  to  keep  the  trappers  at  bay. 

The  latter  took  their  station  in  front,  whence  they  kept 
up  a  scattering  fire.  As  to  Wyeth,  and  his  little  band  of 
"  down  casters,"  they  were  perfectly  astounded  by  this 
second  specimen  of  life  in  the  wilderness  ;  the  men,  being 
especiall}"  unused  to  bush-fighting  and  the  use  of  the  rifle, 
were  at  a  loss  how  to  act.  Wyeth,  however,  acted  as  a 
skilful  commander.  He  got  all  the  horses  into  camp  and 
secured  them  ;  then,  making  a  breastwork  of  his  packs  of 
goods,  he  charged  his  men  to  remain  in  the  garrison,  and 
not  to  stir  out  of  their  fort.  For  himself,  he  mingled  with 
the  other  leaders,  determined  to  take  his  share  in  the  conflict. 

In  the  meantime,  an  express  had  been  sent  off  to  the 
rendezvous  for  reenforcements.  Captain  Sublette  and  his 
associate,  Campbell,  were  at  their  camp  when  the  express 
came  galloping  across  the  plain,  waving  his  cap,  and  giv- 
ing the  alarm,  "  Blackfeet  !  Blackfeet !  a  fight  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  valley  !  —  to  arms  !  to  arms  !  " 

The  alarm  was  passed  from  camp  to  camp.  It  was  a 
common  cause.  Every  one  turned  out  with  horse  and 
rifle.  The  Nez  Perces  and  Flatheads  joined.  As  fast  as 
the  trappers  could  arm  and  mount  they  galloped  off  ;  the 
valley  was  soon  alive  with  white  men  and  Indians  scouring 
at  full  speed. 


CAPTAIN  Sublette's  expedition  85 

Sublette  ordered  his  party  to  keep  to  the  camp,  being 
recruits  from  St.  Louis,  and  unused  to  Indian  warfare,  but 
he  and  his  friend  Campbell  prepared  for  action.  Throw- 
ing off  their  coats,  rolling  up  their  sleeves,  and  arming 
themselves  with  pistols  and  rifles,  they  mounted  their 
horses  and  dashed  forward  among  the  first.  As  they  rode 
along  they  made  their  wills  in  soldier-like  style,  each 
stating  how  his  effects  should  be  disjDOsed  of  in  case  of 
his  death,  and  appointing  the  other  as  his  executor. 

The  Blackfeet  warriors  had  supposed  that  the  party  of 
Milton  Sublette  was  all  the  foe  they  had  to  deal  with,  and 
were  astonished  to  behold  the  whole  valley  suddenly 
swarming  with  horsemen,  galloping  to  the  field  of  action. 
They  withdrew  into  their  fort,  which  was  completely  hid- 
den from  sight  in  the  dark  and  tangled  wood.  Most  of 
their  women  and  children  had  retreated  to  the  mountains. 
The  trappers  now  sallied  out  and  approached  the  swamp, 
firing  into  the  thickets  at  random.  The  Blackfeet  had  a 
better  sight  of  their  adversaries,  who  were  in  the  open 
field,  and  a  half-breed  was  wounded  in  the  shoulder. 

When  Captain  Sublette  arrived,  he  urged  the  men  to 
penetrate  the  swamp  and  storm  the  fort,  but  all  hung  back 
in  awe  of  the  dismal  horrors  of  the  place,  and  the  danger 
of  attacking  such  desperadoes  in  their  savage  den.  The 
very  Indian  allies,  though  accustomed  to  bush-fighting,  re- 
garded it  as  almost  impenetrable,  and  full  of  frightful  dan- 
ger. Sublette  was  not  to  be  turned  from  his  purpose,  but 
offered  to  lead  the  way  into  the  swamp.  Campbell  stepped 
forward  to  accompany  him.  Before  entering  the  perilous 
wood,  Sublette  took  his  brothers  aside,  and  told  them  that 
in  case  he  fell,  Campbell,  who  knew  his  will,  was  to  be  his 
executor.  This  done,  he  grasped  his  rifle  and  pushed  into 
the  thickets,  followed  by  Campbell.  Sinclair,  the  partisan 
from  Arkansas,  was  at  the  edge  of  the  wood  with  his 
brother  and  a  few  of  his  men.     Excited  by  the  gallant 


86  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TKAIL 

example  of  the  two  friends,  he  pressed  forward  to  share 
their  dane^ers. 

The  swamp  was  produced  by  the  labours  of  the  beaver, 
which,  by  damming  up  the  stream,  had  inundated  a  por- 
tion of  the  valley.  The  place  was  overgrown  with  woods 
and  thickets,  so  closely  matted  and  entangled  tliat  it  was 
impossible  to  see  ten  paces  ahead,  and  the  three  associates 
in  peril  had  to  crawl  along,  one  after  another,  making  their 
way  by  putting  the  branches  and  vines  aside,  but  doing  it 
with  great  caution,  lest  they  should  attract  the  eye  of  some 
lurking  marksman.  They  took  the  lead  by  turns,  each 
advancing  some  twenty  yards  at  a  time,  and  now  and 
then  hallooing  to  their  men  to  come  on.  Some  of  the 
latter  gradually  entered  the  swamp,  and  followed  a  little 
distance  in  the  rear. 

They  had  now  reached  a  more  open  part  of  the  wood, 
and  had  glimpses  of  the  rude  fortress  from  between  the 
trees.  It  was  a  mere  breastwork,  of  logs  and  branches, 
with  blankets,  buffalo-robes,  and  the  leather  covers  of 
lodges  extended  around  the  top  as  a  screen.  The  move- 
ment of  the  leaders  as  they  groped  their  way  had  been 
descried  by  the  sharp-sighted  enemy.  As  Sinclair,  who 
was  in  the  advance,  was  putting  some  branches  aside,  he 
was  shot  through  the  body.  He  fell  on  the  spot.  "  Take 
me  to  my  brother,"  said  he  to  Campbell.  The  latter  gave 
him  in  charge  of  some  of  the  men,  who  conveyed  him  out 
of  the  swamp. 

Sublette  now  took  the  advance.  As  he  was  reconnoi- 
tring the  fort,  he  perceived  an  Indian  peeping  through  an 
aperture.  In  an  instant  his  rifle  was  levelled  and  dis- 
charged, and  the  ball  struck  the  savage  in  the  eye.  While 
he  was  reloading  he  called  to  Campbell,  and  pointed  out 
the  hole  to  him  :  "  Watch  that  place,  and  you  will  soon 
have  a  fair  chance  for  a  shot."  Scarce  had  he  uttered 
the  words  when  a  ball  struck  him  in  the  shoulder,  and 


CAPTAIN    SUBLETTE'S   EXPEDITION  87 

almost  wheeled  him  around.  His  first  thought  was  to 
take  hold  of  his  arm  with  liis  other  hand,  and  move  it 
up  and  down.  He  ascertained,  to  his  satisfaction,  that 
the  bone  was  not  broken.  The  next  moment  he  was  so 
faint  he  could  not  stand.  Campbell  took  him  in  his  arms 
and  carried  him  out  of  the  thicket.  The  same  shot  that 
struck  Sublette  wounded  another  man  in  the  head. 

A  brisk  fire  was  now  opened  by  the  mountaineers  from 
the  wood,  answered  occasionally  from  the  fort.  Unluckily, 
the  trappers  and  their  allies,  in  searching  for  the  fort,  had 
got  scattered,  so  that  Wyeth  and  a  number  of  Nez  Perces 
approached  it  on  the  northwest  side,  while  others  did  the 
same  from  the  opposite  quarter.  A  cross-fire  thus  took 
place,  which  occasionally  did  mischief  to  friends  as  well 
as  foes.  An  Indian,  close  to  Wyeth,  was  shot  down  by  a 
ball  which,  he  was  convinced,  had  been  sped  from  the  rifle 
of  a  trapper  on  the  other  side  of  the  fort. 

The  number  of  whites  and  their  Indian  allies  had  by 
this  time  so  much  increased,  by  arrivals  from  the  rendez- 
vous, that  the  Blackfeet  were  completely  overmatched. 
They  kept  doggedly  in  their  fort,  however,  making  no 
effort  to  surrender.  An  occasional  firinsf  into  the  breast- 
work  was  kept  up  during  the  day.  Now  and  then  one 
of  the  Indian  allies,  in  bravado,  would  rush  up  to  the 
fort,  fire  over  the  ramparts,  tear  off  a  buffalo-robe  or  a 
scarlet  blanket,  and  return  Avith  it  in  triumph  to  his  com- 
rades. Most  of  the  savage  garrison  who  fell,  however, 
were  killed  in  the  first  part  of  the  attack. 

At  one  time  it  was  resolved  to  set  fire  to  the  fort,  and 
the  squaws  belonging .  to  the  allies  were  employed  to  col- 
lect combustibles.  This,  however,  was  abandoned,  the 
Nez  Perces  being  unwilling  to  destroy  the  robes  and 
blankets,  and  other  spoils  of  the  enemy,  which  they  felt 
sure  would  fall  into  their  hands. 

The  Indians,  when  fighting,  are  prone  to  taunt  and 


88  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

revile  each  other.  During  one  of  the  pauses  of  the 
battle  the  voice  of  a  Blackfoot  was  heard. 

"  So  long,"  said  he,  "  as  we  had  jjowder  and  ball,  we 
fought  you  in  the  open  field ;  when  those  Avere  spent  we 
retreated  here  to  die  with  our  women  and  children.  You 
may  burn  us  in  our  fort ;  but  stay  by  our  ashes,  and  you 
who  are  so  hungry  for  fighting  will  soon  have  enough. 
There  are  four  hundred  lodges  of  our  brethren  at  hand. 
They  will  soon  be  here  —  their  arms  are  strong  —  their 
hearts  are  big  —  they  will  avenge  us  !  " 

This  speech  was  translated  two  or  three  times  by  Nez 
Perces  and  Creole  interpreters.  By  the  time  it  was  ren- 
dered into  English  the  chief  was  made  to  say  that  four 
hundred  lodges  of  his  tribe  were  attacking  the  encamp- 
ment at  the  other  end  of  the  valley.  Every  one  now 
hurried  to  the  defence  of  the  rendezvous.  A  party  was 
left  to  watch  the  fort ;  the  rest  galloped  off  to  the  camp. 
As  night  came  on,  the  trappers  drew  out  of  the  swamp, 
and  remained  about  the  skirts  of  the  wood.  By  morning 
their  companions  returned  from  the  rendezvous,  with  the 
report  that  all  was  safe.  As  the  day  opened,  they  vent- 
ured within  the  swamp  and  approached  the  fort.  All 
was  silent.  They  advanced  up  to  it  without  opposition. 
They  entered;  it  had  been  abandoned  in  the  night,  and 
the  Blackfeet  had  effected  their  retreat,  carrying  off 
their  wounded  on  litters  made  of  branches,  leaving  bloody 
traces  on  the  grass.  The  bodies  of  ten  Indians  were 
found  within  the  fort,  among  them  the  one  shot  in  the 
eye  by  Sublette.  The  Blackfeet  afterward  reported  that 
they  had  lost  twenty-six  warriors  in  this  battle.  Thirty- 
two  horses  were  likewise  found  killed  ;  among  them  were 
some  of  those  recently  carried  off  from  Sublette's  party, 
which  showed  that  these  were  the  very  savages  that  had 
attacked  him.  They  proved  to  be  an  advance  party  of 
the  main  body  of  Blackfeet,  which  had  been  upon  Sub- 


CAPTAIN  Sublette's  expedition  89 

lette's  trail  for  some  time.  Five  white  men  and  one 
half-breed  were  killed  and  several  wounded.  Seven  of 
the  Nez  Perces  were  also  killed,  and  six  wounded.  They 
had  an  old  chief  who  was  reputed  to  be  invulnerable.  In 
the  course  of  the  action  he  was  hit  by  a  spent  ball,  and 
threw  up  blood  ;  but  his  skin  was  unbroken.  His  people 
were  now  fully  convinced  that  he  was  proof  against  a  rifle- 
shot. 

A  striking  circumstance  is  related  as  having  occurred 
the  morning  after  the  battle.  As  some  of  the  trajDpers 
and  their  Indian  allies  were  approaching  the  fort,  through 
the  woods,  they  beheld  an  Indian  woman,  of  noble  form 
and  features,  leaning  against  a  tree.  Their  surprise  at 
her  lingering  there  alone,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  her 
enemies,  was  dispelled  when  they  saw  the  corpse  of  a 
warrior  at  her  feet.  Either  she  was  so  lost  in  her  grief 
as  not  to  perceive  their  approach,  or  a  proud  spirit  kept 
her  silent  and  motionless.  The  Indians  set  up  a  yell  on 
discovering  her,  and  before  the  trappers  could  interfere, 
her  mangled  body  fell  upon  the  corpse  which  she  had  re- 
fused to  abandon.  It  is  an  instance  of  female  devotion, 
even  to  the  death,  which  is  undoubtedlv  true. 

After  the  battle  the  party  of  Milton  Sublette,  together 
with  the  free  trappers,  and  Wyeth's  New  England  band, 
remained  some  days  at  the  rendezvous  to  see  if  the  main 
body  of  Blackfeet  intended  to  make  an  attack.  Nothing 
of  the  kind  occurred,  so  they  once  more  put  themselves 
in  motion,  and  proceeded  on  their  route  toward  the 
southwest. 

Captain  Sublette,  having  distributed  his  supplies,  had 
intended  to  set  off  on  his  return  to  St.  Louis,  taking  with 
him  the  peltries  collected  from  the  trappers  and  Indians. 
His  wound,  however,  obliged  him  to  postpone  his  de- 
parture. Several  who  were  to  have  accompanied  him 
became   impatient    at   his    delay.      Among   these    was    a 


90  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

yoiino'  Bostonian,  Mr.  Joseph  More,  one  of  the  followers 
of  Mr.  Wyeth,  who  had  seen  enough  of  mountain  life  and 
savage  warfare,  and  was  eager  to  return  to  the  abodes  of 
civilization.  He  and  six  others,  among  whom  were  a  Mr. 
Foy  of  Mississippi,  Mr.  Alfred  K.  Stephens  of  St.  Louis, 
and  two  grandsons  of  the  celebrated  Daniel  Boone,  set 
out  togetlier,  in  advance  of  Sublette's  party,  thinking 
they  would  make  their  own  way  through  the  mountains. 
It  was  just  five  d-dya  after  the  battle  of  the  swamp  that 
these  seven  companions  were  making  their  way  through 
Jackson's  Hole,  a  valle}^  not  far  from  the  Three  Tetons, 
when,  as  they  were  descending  a  hill,  a  party  of  Blackfeet, 
who  la}?^  in  ambush,  started  up  with  terrific  yells.  The 
horse  of  the  young  Bostonian,  who  was  in  front,  wheeled 
round  with  affright,  and  threw  his  unskilful  rider.  The 
young  man  scrambled  up  the  side  of  the  hill,  but,  un- 
accustomed to  such  wild  scenes,  lost  his  presence  of  mind, 
and  stood  as  if  paral3^zed  on  the  edge  of  the  bank,  until 
the  Blackfeet  came  up  and  slew  him  on  the  spot.  His 
comrades  had  fled  on  the  first  alarm  ;  but  two  of  them, 
Foy  and  Stephens,  seeing  his  danger,  paused  when  they 
had  got  half-way  up  the  hill,  turned  back,  dismounted, 
and  hastened  to  his  assistance.  Foy  was  instantly  killed. 
Stephens  was  severely  wounded,  but  escaped,  to  die  five 
days  afterward.  The  survivors  returned  to  the  camp  of 
Captain  Sublette,  bringing  tidings  of  this  new  disaster. 
That  hardy  leader,  as  soon  as  he  could  bear  the  journey, 
set  out  on  his  retu^-n  to  St.  Louis,  accompanied  by  Camp- 
bell. As  they  had  a  number  of  packhorses,  richly  laden 
with  peltries,  to  convoy,  they  chose  a  different  route 
through  the  mountains,  out  of  the  way,  as  they  hoped, 
of  the  lurking  bands  of  Blackfeet.  They  succeeded  in 
making  the  frontier  in  safety. ^ 

^  In   1820  Major   Stephen  H.  Long,  of  the  United  States  army,  com- 
manded an  expedition  through  the  Hatte  Valley  and  beyond,  under  tlio 


CAPTAIN   SDBLETTE's   EXPEDITION  91 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1832,  Captain  B.  E.  Bonneville,  of  the 
Seventh  United  States  Infantry,  having  obtained  leave 
of  absence  from  Major-General  Alexander  Macomb,  left 
Fort  Osage,  at  his  own  expense,  on  a  perilous  explora- 
tion of  the  country  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  beyond. 

His  party  consisted  of  one  liundred  and  ten  men,  the 
majority  of  whom  were  experienced  hunters  and  trappers. 
Their  means  of  transportation  were  twenty  wagons,  drawn 
by  oxen  or  by  four  mules  each,  loaded  with  ammunition, 
provisions,  and  some  merchandise  intended  for  trading 
with  the  Indians.  The  wagons  were  moved  in  two  col- 
umns, the  men  marching  in  such  a  manner  before  and 
behind  as  to  form  an  advance  and  rearguard.  This  cara- 
van of  Captain  Bonneville's  undoubtedly  contained  the 
first  wagons  that  the  Indians  had  ever  seen,  and  as  they 
passed  through  their  country,  they  created  a  novel  sensa- 
tion among  the  savages.  They  examined  everything  about 
them  minutely,  and  asked  a  thousand  questions,  an  un- 
usual change  from  their  generally  apathetic  character. 

On  the  march  the  captain  invariably  sent  his  hunters 
and  scouts  ahead,  to  reconnoitre  the  country,  as  well  as  to 
procure  game  for  the  command.  On  the  24th  of  May,  as 
the  caravan  was  slowly  moving  westward,  the  scouts  came 
rushing  back,  waving  their  caps,  and  shouting,  ''Indians ! 
Indians  !  " 

A  halt  was  immediately  ordered,  and  it  was  discovered 
that  a  large  party  of  Crows  were  on  the  river,  just  above 
where  the  caravan  then  was.  The  captain,  knowing  that 
the  tribe  was  noted  for  warlike  deeds  and  expertness  in 
horse-stealing,  gave  orders  to  prepare  for  action.  All 
were  soon  ready  for  any  emergency,  the  party  moved  on 
in  battle  array,  and  in  a  short  time  about  sixty  Crow  war- 
riors emerged  from  the  bluffs.     They  were  painted  in  the 

direction  of  the  War  Department.    As  its  object  was  purely  scientific, 
and  its  details  uninteresting  to  the  general  reader,  it  is  omitted  here. 


92  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

most  approved  style  of  savage  art,  well  mounted  on  fine 
ponies,  and  evidently  ready  for  a  battle.  They  ajj- 
proached  the  caravan  in  true  Indian  method,  cavorting 
around  on  tlieir  spirited  animals,  rusliing  on  as  if  they  in- 
tended to  make  a  charge,  but  when  at  the  proper  distance 
suddenly  opened  right  and  left,  wheeled  around  the  trav- 
ellers at  the  same  instant,  whooping  and  yelling  diaboli- 
cally. Their  first  Avild  demonstration  of  spoiling  for  a 
fight  having  cooled  down,  they  stopped,  and  the  chief 
rode  up  to  the  captain,  extended  his  hand,  wdiich  of  course 
he  took ;  and  after  a  pipe  was  smoked,  nothing  could  ex- 
ceed the  spirit  of  friendliness  that  prevailed. 

They  were  on  a  raid  against  a  band  of  Cheyennes  who 
had  attacked  their  village  in  the  night  and  killed  one 
of  their  tribe.  They  had  already  been  on  the  trail  for 
twenty-five  days,  and  said  they  were  determined  never  to 
return  to  their  homes  until  they  had  had  their  revenge. 

The}'  had  been  secretly  hanging  on  the  trail  of  Captain 
Bonneville's  party  and  were  astonished  at  the  wagons  and 
oxen,  but  Ave  re  especially  amazed  by  the  appearance  of  a 
cow  and  calf  quietly  walking  alongside.  They  supposed 
them  to  be  some  kind  of  tame  buffalo.  They  regarded 
them  as  "  big  medicine,"  but  when  it  was  told  them  that 
the  white  men  would  trade  the  calf  for  a  horse,  their  won- 
der ceased,  their  estimation  of  its  w^onderful  power  sank 
to  zero,  and  they  declined  to  make  the  exchange. 

On  the  2d  of  June  the  Platte  River  was  reached,  about 
twenty-five  miles  below  Grand  Island.  Captain  Bonne- 
ville measured  the  stream  at  that  point,  found  it  to  be 
twenty-two  hundred  yards  wdde,  and  from  three  to  six 
feet  deep,  the  bottom  full  of  quicksand. 

On  the  11th  of  the  same  month  the  party  arrived  at  the 
forks  of  the  Platte,  but  finding  it  impossible  to  cross  on 
account  of  the  quicksand,  they  travelled  for  two  days  along 
the  south  branch,  trying  to  discover  a  safe  fording-place. 


CAPTAIN    SUBLETTE  S    EXPEDITION 


93 


At  last  they  camped,  took  off  the  bodies  of  the  wagons, 
covered  them  with  buffalo-hides,  and  smearing  them  with 
tallow  and  ashes,  thus  turned  them  into  boats.  In  these 
they  ferried  themselves  and  their  effects  across  the  stream, 
which  was  six  hundred  yards  wide,  with  a  very  swift 
current. 

After  successfully  crossing  the  river,  the  line  of  march 
was  toward  the  North  Fork,  a  distance  of  nine  miles  from 
their   ford.     Terribly  annoyed  by  swarms  of  gnats  and 


JcdffJ  ,^/u/f-. 


mosquitoes,  they  followed  the  meanderings  of  the  stream, 
and  on.  the  evening  of  the  17th  arrived  at  a  beautiful 
grove,  resonant  with  the  songs  of  birds,  the  first  they  had 
heard  since  leaving  the  banks  of  the  Missouri. 

Captain  Bonneville  made  a  camp  at  Chimney  Rock,  the 
height  of  which,  according  to  his  triangulation,  was  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  yards.  On  the  21st  he  made 
camp  amidst  the  high  and  beetling  cliffs,  known  a  few 
years  afterward  as  Scott's  Bluffs. 

The  route  of  Captain  Bonneville's  march  was  generally 
along  the  bank  of   the   Platte   River,  but  frequently  he 


94  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

was  compelled,  because  of  the  steep  bluffs  which  bounded 
it,  to  make  inland  detours. 

In  July  lie  camped  on  a  branch  of  the  Sweetwater, 
which  by  measurement  was  sixty  feet  wide  and  four  or 
five  deep,  flowing  between  low  banks  over  a  sandy  soil. 
At  that  point  numerous  herds  of  buffalo  were  seen. 

On  the  12th  of  July,  the  caravan  reached  Laramie's 
Fork,  and,  abandoning  the  Platte,  made  a  detour  to  the 
southwest.  In  two  days  afterward  they  camped  on  the 
bank  of  the  Sweetwater.  Up  that  stream  they  moved 
for  several  days,  and  on  the  20th  of  July  first  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  which  they  crossed  and 
then  went  on  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

On  the  13th  of  July  of  the  following  year  after  his 
tour  through  the  Rocky  Mountains,  Bonneville  arrived  in 
the  Green  River  Valley,  which  he  now  found  covered  in 
every  direction  with  buffalo  carcasses.  It  was  evident  that 
the  Indians  had  recently  been  there  and  in  great  numbers. 
Alarmed  at  what  he  saw,  the  captain  halted  as  soon  as 
night  came  on,  and  sent  out  his  scouts  to  the  trappers' 
rendezvous  at  Horse  Creek,  where  he  expected  to  meet 
a  party.  When  the  scouts  returned  with  some  of  the 
trappers,  his  mind  was  relieved  by  the  information  that 
the  great  slaughter  of  the  buffaloes  had  been  made  by 
a  band  of  friendly  Shoshones. 

The  Green  River  Valley,  at  the  time  of  Captain  Bonne- 
ville's visit,  was  one  of  the  general  rendezvous  of  the 
trappers,  traders,  and  Indians.  There  he  got  together  a 
band  of  some  of  the  most  experienced  men  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  determined  to  continue  to  explore  into  unknown 
regions  farther  west.  His  objective  point  was  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  of  which  he  had  heard  such  wonderful  accounts, 
and  on  the  24th  of  July  he  started  from  the  Green  River 
Valley  with  forty  men  to  explore  that  inland  sea. 

In  the  spring  of  1835  Captain  Bonneville  returned  to 


CAPTAIN  Sublette's  expedition  95 

the  Green  River  Valley,  and  from  there  pursued  his 
course  down  the  Platte,  reaching  the  frontier  settlements 
on  the  22d  of  August,  having  been  absent  over  three 
years.  During  all  that  time  he  had  made  no  report  to 
the  War  Department,  which  thought  he  had  perished  on 
his  venturesome  journey,  and  his  name  was  stricken  from 
the  rolls  of  the  army.  Several  months  after  his  arrival  in 
Washington,  and  a  satisfactory  explanation  having  been 
rendered,  he  was  restored  to  his  position. ^ 

On  the  22d  of  May,  1842,  Lieutenant  John  C.  Fremont, 
of  the  United  States  Corps  of  Army  Engineers,  arrived  at 
St.  Louis  in  pursuance  of  orders  from  the  War  Depart- 
ment, to  command  an  exploring  expedition  westward  to 
the  Wind  River  Mountains.  On  the  10th  of  June  he 
started  with  the  celebrated  Kit  Carson  as  his  chief  guide  ; 
his  route  was  up  the  Kansas  River  to  the  Blue,  thence 
across  to  the  Platte,  which  he  reached  on  the  25th.  The 
principal  object  of  his  expedition  was  a  survey  of  the 
North  Fork  of  that  river.  He  found  the  width  of  the 
stream,  immediately  below  the  junction  of  its  two  princi- 
pal branches,  to  be  5350  feet.  Hunting  buffalo  and  an 
occasional  Indian  scare  were  the  only  important  incidents 
of  his  march  up  the  valley.  The  expedition  returned  by 
the  same  route  and  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Platte  on 
the  1st  of  October. 

Before  reaching  Laramie's  Fork,  he  met  on  the  28th  of 
June  a  party  of  fourteen  trappers,  in  the  employ  of  the 
American  Fur  Company,  making  their  way  on  foot  with 
their  blankets  and  light  camp  equipage  on  their  backs. 
Two  months  previously  they  had  started  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Laramie  River  in  boats  loaded  with  furs  destined 
for  the  St.  Louis  market.  They  had  taken  advantage  of 
the  June  freshet,  and  were  rapidly  carried  down  as  far  as 

1  Captain  BonneviHe  attained  the  rank  of  colonel,  was  retired  in  1861, 
and  died  on  the  12th  of  June,  1878. 


96 


THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 


Scott's  Bluffs.  There  the  water  spread  out  iuto  the 
valley,  and  the  stream  was  so  shallow  they  were  com- 
pelled to  unload  the  principal  part  of  their  cargo.  This 
they  secured  as  well  as  possible,  and  left  a  few  of  their 
men  to  guard  it.  Tliey  continued  struggling  on  with 
their  boats  in  the  sand  and  mud  fifteen  or  twenty  days 
longer,  then,  farther  progress  being  impossible,  they  cached 
their  remaining  furs  and  property  in  trees  on  the  bank  of 
the  river,  and,  each  man  carr^^ing  what  he  could  on  his 
back,  started  on  foot  for  St.  Louis.  The  party  was  en- 
tirely out  of  tobacco  when  they  were  met  by  Fremont, 
who  kindly  gave  them  enough  to  last  them  on  their  home- 
ward journey. 

During  the  next  decade  the  Platte  Valley  witnessed 
a  wonderful  change.  From  the  habitat  of  the  lonely 
trapper,  hunting  on  its  many  streams,  it  became  the 
chosen  route  of  a  vast  migration,  seeking  possession 
of  the  virgin  soil  of  far-off  Oregon,  or  attracted  by 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  California.  The  hegira  of  the 
Mormons  to  the  sequestered  basin  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake 
also  swelled  the  stream,  and  was  followed  soon  after  by 
the  establishment  of  the  overland  stage,  the  pony  express, 
and  the  buildinof  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 


Qosiing  fi)e  P/d/nj. 


CHAPTER  V 

TRADINGt-POSTS  OF  THE  GREAT  FUR   COMPANIES FORT  VASQUES 

FORT     LARAMIE FORT     PLATTE — FORT     BRIDGER INCI- 
DENTS AT    FORT    PLATTE A    DRUNKEN    SPREE DEATH    AND 

BURIAL     OF     SUSU-CEICHA INSULT      TO      BIG     EAGLE BULL 

tail's    effort    TO    SELL    HIS    DAUGHTER    FOR     A     BARREL     OF 
WHISKEY A  RARE  INSTANCE  OF  A  TRADER'S  HONOUR 


burhl 

JCdffb/d 


S  early  as  the  first  decade 
of  the  present  century, 
the  great  fur  companies 
sent  out  expeditions  up 
the  valley  of  the  Platte 
in  the  charge  of  their 
agents,  to  trap  the  beaver 
and  other  animals  valu- 
able for  their  beautiful 
skins.  The  hardships  of 
these  pioneers  in  the  be- 
ginning of  a  trade  which 
in  a  short  time  assumed 
gigantic  proportions  are 
a  story  of  suffering  and 
privation  which  has  few  parallels  in  the  history  of  the 
development  of  our  mid-continent  region.  Until  the 
establishment  of  the  several  trading-posts,  the  lives  of 
these  men  were  continuous  struggles  for  existence,  as 
no  company  could  possibly  transport  provisions  sufficient 
to  last  beyond  the  most  remote  settlements,  and  the  men 
were  compelled  to  depend  entirely  upon  their  rifles  for 
a  supply  of  food.     When  posts  were  located  at  convenient 


H 


07 


98  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

distances  from  each  other  in  the  desolate  conntry  where 
their  vocation  was  carried  on,  the  chances  of  the  trapper 
for  reguhir  meals  every  day  were  materially  enhanced. 
Before  the  establishment  of  these  ^rendezvous,  where 
everything  necessary  for  his  comfort  was  kept,  the  trapper 
subsisted  on  deer,  bear-meat,  buft'alo,  and  wild  turkeys-r- 
the  latter  were  found  in  abundance  everywhere.  In  times 
of  great  scarcity,  he  was  frequently  compelled  to  resort  to 
dead  horses.  His  coffee,  and  perhaps  a  scant  supply  of 
flour  which  he  had  brought  from  the  last  settlement,  would 
rarely  suffice  until  he  reached  the  foot  of  the  mountains  ; 
and  even  when  obtainable  the  price  was  so  exorbitant  that 
but  few  of  the  earh^  adventurers  could  indulge  in  such 
luxuries. 

The  first  trading-post  was  established  at  the  mouth  of 
Clear  Creek,  in  1832,  by  Louis  Vasquez,  and  named  Fort 
Vasquez,  after  its  proprietor,  but  never  grew  into  much 
importance  and  was  soon  abandoned. 

Fort  Laramie,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  rendezvous  of 
the  trappers,  was  erected  in  1834,  by  William  Sublette  and 
Robert  Campbell  of  St.  Louis,  agents  of  the  American 
Fur  Company.  It  was  first  called  Fort  William,  in  honour 
of  Sublette  ;  later  Fort  John,  and  finally  christened  Fort 
Laramie,  after  the  river  whicli  took  its  name  from  Joseph 
Laramie,  a  French-Canadian  trapper  of  the  earliest  fur- 
hunting  period,  who  was  murdered  by  the  Indians  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  It  was  located  in  the  immediate 
region  of  the  Ogallalla  and  Brule  bands  of  the  great  Sioux 
nation,  and  not  very  remote  from  that  of  the  Cheyennes 
and  Arapahoes. 

In  1835  the  fort  was  sold  to  Milton  Sublette,  Jim 
Bridger,  and  others  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  and 
the  year  following  was  by  them  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  ten 
thousand  dollars.  It  remained  a  private  establishment 
until  1849,  the  year  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California, 


TRADING-POSTS    AND   THEIR    STORIES 


99 


when  the  government  bought  and  transformed  it  into  a 
military  post,  to  awe  the  savages  who  infested  the  trail 
to  the  Pacific,  which  had  then  become  the  great  highway 
of  the  immense  exodus  from  the  Eastern  states  to  the 
gold  regions  of  that  coast. 

The  original  structure  was  built  in  the  usual  style  of 
all  Indian  trading-stations  of  that  day,  of  adobes,  or  sun- 
dried  bricks.  It  was  enclosed  by  walls  twenty  feet  high 
and  four  feet  thick,  encompassing  an  area  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  long  b}^  two  hundred  wide.     At  the  diagonal 


/orf  Idrdm/e 


northwest    and    southwest    corners,   adobe   bastions  were 
erected,  commanding  every  approach  to  the  place. 

The  number  of  buildinsys  were  twelve  in  all:  there  were 
five  sleeping-rooms,  kitchen,  warehouse,  icehouse,  meat- 
house,  blacksmith  shop,  and  carpenter  shop.  The  enclosed 
corral  had  a  capacity  for  two  hundred  animals.  The  cor- 
ral was  separated  from  the  buildings  by  a  partition,  and 
the  area  in  which  the  buildings  were  located  was  a  square, 
while  the  corral  was  a  rectangle,  into  which,  at  night,  the 
horses  and  mules  were  secured.  In  the  daytime,  too, 
when  the  presence  of  Indians  indicated  danger  o'f  the  ani- 
mals being  stolen,  they  were  run  into  the  enclosure. 


100  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

The  roofs  of  the  buildings  within  the  square  were  close 
against  the  walls  of  the  fort,  and  in  case  of  necessity 
could  be  utilized  as  a  banquette  from  which  to  repulse 
any  attack  of  the  savages.  The  main  entrance  to  the  en- 
closure had  two  gates,  with  an  arched  passage  interven- 
ing. A  small  window  opened  from  an  adjoining  room 
into  this  passage,  so  that  when  the  gates  were  closed  and 
barred  any  one  might  still  hold  communication,  through 
this  narrow  aperture,  with  those  within.  Suspicious  char- 
acters, especially  the  savages,  could  do  their  trading  with- 
out the  necessity  of  being  admitted  into  the  fort  proper. 
At  times  when  danger  was  apprehended  from  an  attack 
by  the  Indians,  the  gates  were  kept  shut  and  all  business 
transacted  through  the  window. 

About  thirty  men  were  usually  employed  at  Fort 
Laramie  when  the  trade  was  at  its  height,  as  that 
station  monopolized  nearly  the  entire  Indian  trade  of 
the  whole  region  tributary  to  it.  There  the  famous 
frontiersmen.  Kit  Carson,  Jim  Bridger,  Jim  Baker,  Jim 
Beckwourth,  and  others,  who  in  those  remote  times  con- 
stituted the  pioneers  of  the  primitive  civilization  of  the 
country,  made  their  headquarters. 

The  officials  of  the  fur  companies  stationed  at  Fort 
Laramie  ruled  with  an  absolute  authority.  They  were  as 
potent  in  their  sway  as  the  veriest  despot,  for  they  had  no 
one  to  dispute  their  right  to  lord  it  over  all.  The  nearest 
army  outposts  were  seven  hundred  miles  to  the  east,  and, 
like  the  viceroys  of  Spain  after  the  conquest  of  Mexico, 
they  Avere  a  law  unto  themselves. 

In  its  palmy  days  Fort  Laramie  swarmed  with  women 
and  children,  whose  language,  like  their  complexions,  was 
much  mixed.  All  lived  almost  exclusively  on  buffalo- 
meat  dried  in  the  sun,  and  their  hunters  had  to  go  some- 
times iifty  miles  to  find  a  herd  of  buffaloes.  After  a  while 
there  were  a  few  domestic  cattle  introduced,  and  the  con- 
ditions changed  somewhat. 


TRADING-POSTS    AND    THEIR    STORIES  lUl 

No  military  frontier  post  in  the  United  States  was  so 
beautifully  located  as  Fort  Laramie.  Surrounded  by 
big  bluffs  at  the  intersection  of  the  Laramie  and  Platte 
rivers,  forming  a  valley  unsurpassed  in  the  fertility  of  its 
soil,  together  with  the  richness  of  its  natural  vegetation, 
it  was  an  oasis  in  the  desert.  The  glory  of  the  once 
charming  place  has  departed  forever.  It  was  abandoned 
by  the  government  a  few  years  ago,  as  it  was  no  longer 
a  military  necessity,  the  savage  tribes  which  it  watched 
having  either  become  tame  or  removed  to  far-off  reser- 
vations. 

In  1826  Jim  Bridger  joined  General  Ashley's  trapping 
expedition,  and  eleven  years  afterward,  in  1837,  built 
Fort  Bridger,  for  a  long  time  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
the  trading-posts.  It  was  located  on  the  Black  Fork  of 
Green  River  ^  where  that  stream  branched  into  three  prin- 
cipal channels,  forming  several  large  islands,  upon  one  of 
which  the  fort  was  erected.  It  was  constructed  of  two 
adjoining  log  houses,  with  sod  roofs,  enclosed  by  a  fence 
of  pickets  eight  feet  high,  and,  as  was  usual,  the  offices 
and  sleeping-apartments  opened  into  a  square,  protected 
from  attacks  by  the  Indians  by  a  massive  timber  gate. 
Into  the  corral  all  the  animals  were  driven  at  night  to 
guard  them  from  being  stolen,  or  devoured  by  wild  beasts. 
The  fort  was  inhabited  by  about  fifty  whites,  Indians, 
and  half-breeds.  The  fort  was  the  joint  property  of 
Bridger  and  Vasquez.  Upon  the  Mormon  occupation  of 
the  region  the  owners  were  obliged  to  abandon  it,  on  ac- 
count of  disagreements  with  that  sect,  in  1853. 

Fort  Platte,  another  trading-post  belonging  to  the 
American  Fur  Company,  was  situated  about  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  above  the  mouth  of  the  Laramie  River,  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  North  Platte,  and  constructed  in  the  same 

1  The  Black  Fork  of  Green  River  is  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  state 
of  Wyoming. 


102  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

general  way  described  in  tlie  preceding  paragraphs.  As 
it  is  naturally  to  be  supposed,  there  existed  always  a  des- 
perate rivalry  between  the  two  forts.  Some  of  the  scenes 
enacted  there  long  ago  are  full  of  blood-curdling  advent- 
ure and  reckless  indifference  to  the  preservation  of  life. 
The  following  is  a  true  picture  of  one  of'  the  annual  gath- 
erings of  the  Indian  trappers  who  came  there  to  dispose 
of  their  season's  furs,  more  than  fifty  years  ago  :  — 

"  Tlie  night  of  our  arrival  at  Fort  Platte  was  the  sig- 
nal for  a  grand  jollitication  by  all  hands,  with  two  or  three 
exceptions,  who  soon  got  most  gloriously  drunk,  and  such 
an  illustration  of  the  beauties  of  harmony  as  was  then 
presented  would  have  rivalled  Bedlam  itself,  or  even  the 
famous  council-chamber  beyond  the  Styx. 

"  Yelling,  screeching,  firing,  fighting,  swearing,  drinking, 
and  such  like  interesting  performances  were  kept  up  with- 
out intermission,  —  and  woe  to  the  poor  fellow  who  looked 
for  repose  that  night.  He  might  have  as  well  thought  of 
sleeping  with  a  thousand  cannons  booming  at  his  ears. 

"  Tlie  scene  was  prolonged  till  sundown  the  next  day, 
and  several  made  their  egress  from  this  beastly  carousal 
minus  shirts  and  coats,  with  swollen  eyes,  bloody  noses, 
and  empty  pockets,  —  the  latter  circumstance  will  be 
understood  upon  the  mere  mention  of  the  fact  that  liquor 
was  sold  for  four  dollars  a  pint ! 

"  The  day  following  was  ushered  in  by  the  enactment 
of  another  scene  of  comico-tragical  character. 

"  The  Indians  camped  in  the  vicinity,  being  extremely 
solicitous  to  imitate  the  example  of  their  illustrious  pred- 
ecessors, commenced  their  demands  for  fire-water  as  soon 
as  the  first  tints  of  morning  began  to  paint  the  east ; 
and,  before  the  sun  had  told  an  hour  of  his  course,  they 
were  pretty  well  advanced  in  the  state  of  "  How  come  you 
so?"  and  seemed  to  exercise  their  musical  powers  in  won- 
derful rivalry  with  their  white  brethren. 


TRADING-POSTS    AND   THEIR   STORIES  103 

"  Men,  women,  and  children  were  seen  running  from 
lodge  to  lodge  with  vessels  of  liquor,  inviting  their  friends 
and  relatives  to  drink  ;  while  whooping,  singing,  drunk- 
enness, and  trading  for  fresh  supplies  to  administer  to  the 
demands  of  intoxication  had  evidently  become  the  order 
of  the  day.  Soon  individuals  were  seen  passing  from 
one  another,  with  mouths  full  of  the  coveted  fire-water, 
drawing  the  lips  of  favoured  friends  to  close  contact,  as  if 
to  kiss,  and  ejecting  the  contents  of  their  own  into  the 
eager  mouths  of  others,  —  thus  affording  the  delighted 
recipients  tests  of  fervent  esteem  in  the  heat  and  strength 
of  their  strange  draught. 

"  At  this  stage  of  the  game  the  American  Fur  Com- 
pany, as  Avas  charged,  commenced  to  deal  out  to  them 
gratuitously,  strong  drugged  liquor  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  preventing  the  sale  of  the  article  by  its  competitor 
in  trade,  and  of  creating  sickness,  or  inciting  contention 
among  the  Indians  while  under  the  influence  of  sudden 
intoxication,  hoping  thereby  to  induce  the  latter  to  charge 
its  ill  effects  upon  an  opposite  source,  and  thus  by  destroy- 
ing the  credit  of  its  rival  to  monopolize  the  whole  trade. 

"  It  is  hard  to  predict  with  certainty  what  would  have 
been  the  result  of  this  reckless  policy,  had  it  been  contin- 
ued through  the  day.  Already  its  effects  became  appar- 
ent, and  small  knots  of  drunken  Indians  were  seen  in 
various  directions,  quarreling,  preparing  to  fight,  or  fight- 
ing, while  others  lay  stretched  upon  the  ground  in  help- 
less impotency,  or  staggered  from  place  to  place  with  all 
the  revolting  attendants  of  intoxication. 

"  The  drama,  however,  was  brought  to  a  temporary 
close  by  an  incident  which  made  a  strange  contrast  in  its 
immediate  results. 

"  One  of  the  head  chiefs  of  the  Brule  village,  in  riding 
at  full  speed  from  Fort  John  to  P'ort  Platte,  being  a  little 
too  drunk  to  navigate,  plunged  headlong  from  his  horse, 


104  THE    CHEAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

and  broke  his  neck  wlien  witliin  a  few  rods  of  his  destina- 
tion. Then  was  a  touching  display  of  confusion  and  ex- 
citement. Men  and  squaws  commenced  squalling  like 
children,  —  the  whites  were  bad,  very  bad,  said  they,  in 
their  grief,  to  give  Susu-Ceicha  the  fire-water  that  caused 
his  death.  But  the  height  of  their  censure  was  directed 
against  the  American  Fur  Company,  as  its  liquor  had 
done  the  deed. 

"•  The  corpse  of  the  deceased  chief  was  brought  to  the 
fort  by  his  relatives  with  a  request  that  the  whites  should 
assist  at  his  burial ;  but  the}'  were  in  a  sorry  plight  for 
such  a  service.  There  were  found  some  sufficiently  sober 
for  the  task,  however,  and  they  accordingly  commenced 
operations. 

"  A  scaffold  was  erected  for  the  reception  of  the  body, 
which,  in  the  meantime,  had  been  fitted  for  its  last  airy 
tenement.  The  duty  was  performed  in  the  following 
manner  :  It  was  first  washed,  then  arrayed  in  the  habili- 
ments last  worn  by  the  deceased  during  life,  and  sewed  in 
several  envelopes  of  lodge-skin  with  his  bows  and  arrows 
and  pipe.  This  done,  all  things  were  ready  for  the  pro- 
posed burial. 

"  The  corpse  was  borne  to  its  final  resting-place,  fol- 
lowed by  a  throng  of  relatives  and  friends.  While  mov- 
ing onward  with  the  dead,  the  train  of  mourners  filled  the 
air  with  lamentations  and  rehearsals  of  the  virtues  and 
meritorious  deeds  of  their  late  chief. 

"  Arrived  at  the  scaffold,  the  corpse  was  caref uU}'  re- 
posed upon  it  facing  the  east,  while  beneath  its  head  was 
placed  a  small  sack  of  meat,  tobacco,  and  vermilion,  with 
a  comb,  looking-glass,  and  knife,  and  at  its  feet  a  small 
banner  that  had  been  carried  in  the  procession.  A  cover- 
ing of  scarlet  cloth  was  then  spread  over  it,  and  the  body 
firmly  lashed  to  its  place  by  long  strips  of  rawhide.  This 
done,  the  horse  of  the  chieftain  was  produced  as  a  sacrifice 


TRADING-POSTS    AND   THEIR    STORIES  105 

for  the  benefit  of  his  master  in  his  long  journey  to  the 
celestial  hunting-grounds. 

"  Then  first,  encircling  it  at  a  respectful  distance,  were 
seated  the  old  men,  next  the  young  men  and  the  warriors, 
and  next  the  squaws  and  children.  Etespa-huska  (The 
Long  Bow),  eldest  son  of  the  deceased,  thereupon  com- 
menced speaking,  while  the  weeping  throng  ceased  its 
tumult  to  listen  to  his  words. 

" '  O  Susu-Ceicha  !  thy  son  bemourns  thee,  even  as 
were  wont  the  fledglings  of  the  war-eagle  to  cry  for  the 
one  that  nourished  them,  when  thy  swift  arrow  had  laid 
him  in  the  dust.  Sorrow  fills  the  heart  of  Etespa-huska  ; 
sadness  crushes  it  to  the  ground  and  sinks  it  beneath  the 
sod  upon  which  he  treads. 

"  '  Thou  hast  gone,  O  Susu-Ceicha  !  Death  hath  con- 
quered thee,  whom  none  but  death  could  conquer  ;  and 
who  shall  now  teach  thy  son  to  be  brave  as  thou  wast 
brave  ;  to  be  good  as  thou  wast  good ;  to  fight  the  foe  of 
thy  people  and  acquaint  thy  cliosen  ones  with  the  war- 
song  of  triumph  ;  to  deck  his  lodge  with  the  scalps  of  the 
slain,  and  bid  the  feet  of  the  young  move  swiftly  in  the 
dance  ?  And  who  shall  teach  Etespa-huska  to  follow 
the  chase  and  plunge  his  arrows  into  the  yielding  sides  of 
the  tired  bull  ?  ' 

"  Thus  for  half  an  hour  did  the  young  man  tell  of  the 
virtues  and  great  deeds  of  his  father,  and  the  moment  he 
had  finished,  a  tremendous  howl  of  grief  burst  from  the 
whole  assemblage,  men,  women,  and  children  alike.  When 
the  wailing  ceased  they  all  returned  to  their  respective 
lodges. 

"  The  sad  event  of  the  day  put  a  stop  to  the  dissipation 
of  the  savages,  and  not  long  afterward  they  commenced 
to  pull  down  their  respective  lodges,  and  removed  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  buffalo,  for  the  purpose  of  selecting 
their  winter  quarters. 


106  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

"  Two  weeks  later  a  band  of  Brules  arrived  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  fort  and  opened  a  brisk  trade  in  liquor 
by  indulging  in  a  drunken  spree. 

"  The  savages  crowded  tlie  fort  houses  seeking  arti- 
cles, and  soon  became  a  terrible  nuisance.  One  room  in 
particular  was  constantly  thronged  to  the  exclusion  of  its 
regular  occupants,  when  the  latter,  losing  all  patience 
with  the  savages,  adopted  the  following  plan  to  get  rid  of 
them. 

"  After  closely  covering  the  chimney,  by  the  aid  of 
some  half-rotten  chips  a  dense  smoke  was  raised,  the 
doors  and  windows  being  closed  at  the  same  time  to  pre- 
vent its  escape,  and  in  an  instant  the  apartment  became 
filled 'to  the  point  of  suffocation, — too  much  so  for  the 
Indians,  who  gladly  made  a  precipitate  retreat. 

"They  were  told  it  was  the  'Long-Knife  Medicine."  ^ 
During  the  visit  of  the  savages  at  the  fort,  a  warrior 
called  '  Big  Eagle '  was  struck  over  the  head  by  a  half- 
drunken  trader,  an  incident  which  came  very  near  termi- 
nating seriously,  but  fortunately  did  not.  It  might  have 
ended  in  the  massacre  of  all  the  whites  had  not  some  of 
the  more  level-headed  promptly  interfered  and  with 
much  effort  succeeded  in  pacifying  the  enraged  chief  by 
presenting  him  with  a  horse. 

"  At  first  the  savage  would  admit  of  no  compromise 
short  of  the  offender's  blood.  He  had  been  struck  by  the 
white  man,  and  blood  alone  must  atone  for  the  aggres- 
sion. Unless  that  should  wipe  out  the  disgrace  lie  could 
never  again  hold  up  his  head  among  his  people,  —  they 
\vould  call  him  a  coward,  and  say  a  white  man  struck  the 
Big  Eagle  and  he  dared  not  resent  it." 

An  Indian  considers  it  the  greatest  indignity  to  receive 

1  The  name  "Long-Knife"  was  applied  by  the  Indians  to  the  com- 
mand of  Lewis  and  Clarke  when  they  crossed  the  continent  in  1804-5, 
and  it  has  remained  as  a  name  for  the  whites  ever  since. 


TRADING-POSTS    AND   THEIR    STORIES  107 

a  blow  from  any  one,  even  from  his  own  brother^  and 
unless  the  affair  is  settled  by  the  bestowal  of  a  tres- 
pass offering  on  the  part  of  the  aggressor,  he  is  almost 
sure  to  seek  revenge,  either  through  blood  or  the  destruc- 
tion of  property.  This  is  more  an  especial  characteristic 
of  the  Sioux  than  of  any  other  of  the  savage  tribes. 

The  liquor-traffic  was  a  most  infamous  one,  as  an  abun- 
dance of  facts  could  prove. 

In  November,  1855,  the  American  Fur  Company,  from 
Fort  John,  sent  a  quantity  of  their  drugged  liquor  to  an 
Indian  village  on  the  Chugwater,  as  a  gift,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  preventing  the  sale  of  that  article  by  their  com- 
petitors in  trade.  The  consequence  was  that  the  poor 
creatures  all  got  beastly  drunk,  and  a  fight  ensued,  in  which 
two  chiefs.  Bull  Bear  and  Yellow  Lodge,  and  six  of  their 
personal  friends  were  murdered.  Fourteen  others  who 
took  part  in  the  fracas  were  badly  wounded.  Soon  after- 
ward another  affair  of  the  same  character  occurred,  and 
resulted  in  the  death  of  three  of  the  savages.  Many  were 
killed  in  like  quarrels  in  the  several  Indian  villages. 

The  liquor  used  in  this  nefarious  trade  was  generally 
third  or  fourth  proof  whiskey,  which,  after  being  diluted 
by  a  mixture  of  three  parts  water,  was  sold  to  the  savages 
at  the  exorbitant  rate  of  three  cups  for  a  single  buffalo- 
robe,  each  cup  holding  about  three  gills.  That  was  not 
all  :  sometimes  the  cup  was  not  more  than  half  filled ; 
then  again  the-  act  of  measuring  was  also  a  rascally  trans- 
action, for  when  the  poor  savage  became  so  drunk  that  he 
could  not  see,  he  was  cheated,  —  more  water  was  added, 
the  unlucky  purchaser  not  receiving  more  than  one- 
fourth  of  what  he  paid  for.  There  were  still  other 
modes  of  cheating  poor  Lo. 

To  further  show  how  demoralizing  the  traffic  was  I  will 
relate  an  instance :  "  Old  Bull  Tail,"  a  chief  of  the  Sioux, 
had  an  only  daughter,  who  was  named  Chint-zille.     She 


108  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

was  very  handsome  as  savage  beauty  goes,  and  the  old 
chief  really  loved  her,  for  the  North  American  Indian  is 
possessed  of  as  much  devotion  to  his  fanuly  as  is  to  be 
found  in  the  most  cultivated  of  the  white  race  ;  but  the  old 
fellow  was  inordinately  fond  of  getting  drunk,  and  at  one 
time,  not  having  the  wherewithal  to  procure  the  necessary 
liquor,  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  trade  his  daughter 
for  a  sufficient  quantity. 

One  morning  he  entered  the  store  of  a  trader,  accom- 
panied by  Chint-zille.     The  following  dialogue  took  place  : 

"  Bull  Tail  is  welcome  to  the  lodge  of  the  Long-Knife  ; 
but  why  is  his  daughter,  the  pride  of  his  heart,  bathed  in 
tears?     It  pains  me  that  one  so  beautiful  should  weep." 

The  old  chief  answered  :  "  Chint-zille  is  a  foolish  girl. 
Her  father  loves  her,  and  therefore  she  cries." 

"  There  should  be  greater  cause  for  grief  than  that." 

"The  Long-Knife  speaks  well." 

"  How  then  can  she  sorrow  ?  Tell  her  to  speak  to  me, 
that  I  may  whisper  words  of  comfort  in  her  ear." 

"  I  will  tell  you,  Long-Knife  :  Bull  Tail  loves  his  daugh- 
ter very  much  ;  he  loves  Long-Knife  very  much  I  he 
loves  them  both  very  much.  The  Great  Spirit  has  put 
the  thought  into  his  mind  that  both  alike  might  be  his 
children ;  then  would  his  heart  leap  for  joy  at  the  twice- 
spoken  name  of  father  !  " 

"  I  do  not  understand  the  meaning  of  Bull  Tail's  words." 

"  Sure,  Long-Knife,  you  are  slow  to  understand  !  Bull 
Tail  would  give  his  daughter  to  the  Long-Knife.  Does 
not  Long-Knife  love  Chint-zille  ?  " 

"  If  I  should  say  no,  my  tongue  would  lie  ;  Long-Knife 
has  no  wife,  and  who,  like  the  lovely  Chint-zille,  is  so 
worthy  that  he  should  take  her  to  his  bosom  ?  How  can 
I  show  my  gratitude  to  her  noble  father  ?  " 

"  The  gift  is  free,  and  Bull  Tail  will  be  too  glad  in  its 
acceptance,  his  friends  wall  all  be  glad  with  him.      But  that 


TRADING-POSTS    AND  THEIR   STORIES 


109 


they  may  bless  the  Long-Knife,  let  him  fill  up  the  hollow- 
wood  1  with  fire-water,  and  Bull  Tail  will  take  it  to  his 
lodge  ;  then  Chint-zille  will  be  yours." 

"  But  Chint-zille  grieves,  she  does  not  love  the  Long- 
Knife." 

"Chint-zille  is  foolish.  Let  the  Long-Knife  measure 
the  fire-water,  and  she  shall  be  yours." 

"  No,  Long-Knife  will  not  do  this  ;  Chint-zille  should 
never  be  the  wife  of  the  man  she  does  not  love." 

The  old  chief  pleaded  for  a  long  time  with  the  trader  to 
take  the  girl  and  give  him  the  liquid,  but  the  trader  was 
inexorable  ;  he  would  not  form  any  such  tangling  alliance, 
so  the  old  chief  failed  to  get  the  liquor,  and  he  left  the 
house  with  mortification  and  shame  depicted  on  his 
withered  face. 

1  A  keg. 


•>mif/m/i  ■  'III'  f 


/brt&r/c/^er 
^D^c/(  /br/(  of  Green  f^/ver 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    MOST    DESOLATE    OF     DESERTS    MADE    TO    BLOSSOM     AS     THE 

ROSE  —  THE  MORMON  HEGIRA PILGRIMS'  OUTFIT CURIOUS 

GUIDE-POSTS THE     HAND-CART     EXPEDITION SUFFERINGS 

AND      HARDSHIPS      DURING     THE      EXODUS AN      IMPENDING 

WAR GENERAL    HARNEy's    EXPEDITION MORMON    TACTICS 

DESTROY     THE     SUPPLIES PRIVATIONS     OF      THE     UNITED 

STATES    ARMY PRESIDENT    BACKS    DOWN SALT  LAKE  CITY 

BRIGHAM    young's    VISION THE    TEMPLE 


The  McW 
orificp/d/nj. 


TAH  was  settled 
in  1847  by  a  re- 
ligious commun- 
ity of  people  gen- 
erally known  by 
the  name  of  ^lor- 
mons,  but  they 
style  themselves, 
"The  Latter-day 
Saints  of  the 
Clmrch  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

In  the  great 
valley  of  a  vast 
inland  sea,  the  ex- 
istence of  which  was  unknown  to  the  world  seventy-five 
years  ago,  whose  surroundings  were  a  desert  in  the  most 
rigid  definition  of  tlie  term,  a  great  commonwealth  has 
been  established  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  its  origin 
by  that  of  any  other  of  the  civilized  countries  of  the  world. 

110 


THE   MORMONS  111 

Out  of  the  most  desolate  of  our  vast  arid  interior  areas, 
in  less  than  half  a  century  has  heen  evolved  not  only  a 
magnificent  garden  spot,  but  a  great  city  with  all  the 
adjuncts  of  our  most  modern  civilization.  Kicli  in  its 
architecture,  progressive  in  its  art,  with  a  literature  that 
is  marvellous  when  the  conditions  from  which  it  has 
sprung  are  seriously  considered,  the  Mormon  community 
meets  all  the  demands  of  our  ever  advancing  civilization. 

Neither  the  love  of  gold,  nor  the  cupidity  of  conquest, 
those  characteristics  which  have  subordinated  other  por- 
tions of  the  New  World  to  the  restless  ambition  of  man, 
were  the  causes  that  have  revolutionized  both  the  physical 
character  and  the  social  conditions  of  the  now  wealthy  and 
prosperous  state  of  Utah.  As  Banfcroft  very  forcibly  states : 
"  Utah  was  settled  upon  an  entirely  new  idea  of  God's  reve- 
lation to  the  world.  Old  faiths  have  been  worked  over 
and  over ;  colonies  have  been  built  upon  those  tenets,  but 
never  before  have  any  results  comparable  to  those  which 
characterize  that  of  the  Mormon  faith  been  attained,  in 
founding  a  community,  based  as  it  is  upon  '  an  entirely 
new  religion." 

Originating  east  of  the  Mississippi,  perhaps  no  sect  in 
modern  times  has  been  so  persecuted  as  was  that  of  the 
Mormons  in  their  early  days.  So  great  and  unbearable 
had  this  persecution  become  that  it  was  determined  by 
their  leaders  to  seek  some  remote  spot  where  they  could 
worship  according  to  their  own  ideas,  without  fear  of 
molestation. 

The  Mormon  emigration  to  Utah  was  seriously  con- 
sidered by  Brigham  Young  years  before  1847,  the  date 
of  their  exodus.  It  is  claimed  that  he  was  but  carrying 
out  the  plans  of  Joseph  Smith,  who  early  in  1842  said  that 
his  people  '•  would  yet  be  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
where  they  would  be  able  to  build  a  city  of  their  own  free 
from  all  interference." 


112  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

111  confinnatioii  of  this  the  following  extract  from  Heber 
C.  Kimball's  diary  shows  that  a  migration  to  some  point 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  was  contemplated  :  "  Nauvoo 
Temple,  December  31, 1845,  —  President  Young  and  myself 
are  superintending  the  operations  of  the  day,  examining 
maps  with  reference  to  selecting  a  location  for  the  Saints 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  reading  the  various 
works  which  have  been  written  and  published  by  travellers 
in  those  regions." 

When  it  had  been  determined  to  leave  for  the  Great 
Basin,  winter  quarters  were  established  on  the  Elk  Horn 
River;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  9tli  of  April,  1847,  the 
migration  began,  but  was  not  fairl}^  inaugurated  until  the 
14th.  The  party  were  allowed  a  wagon,  two  oxen,  two 
milch  cows,  and  a  tent,  to  every  ten  of  their  number. 
For  each  wagon  there  was  supplied  a  thousand  pounds 
of  flour,  fifty  pounds  of  rice,  sugar,  and  bacon,  thirty 
of  beans,  twenty  of  dried  apples  or  peaches,  twenty-five  of 
salt,  five  of  tea,  a  gallon  of  vinegar,  and  ten  bars  of  soap. 

Every  able-bodied  man  was  compelled  to  carry  a  rifle 
or  musket.  His  wagon  served  for  bed  and  kitchen,  and 
was  occasionally  used  as  a  boat  in  crossing  the  streams. 
A  day's  journey  averaged  about  thirteen  miles,  with  a 
rest  at  noon  to  dine  and  to  allow  the  cattle  to  graze. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  were  following  them,  the 
first  party  of  Mormons  adopted  some  curious  devices  to 
inform  their  friends  among  the  latter  how  they  were  pro- 
gressing. For  post-oflices,  they  used  the  bleached  bufTalo- 
skulls  found  on  the  prairie,  which,  after  the  letters  were 
placed  inside,  they  suspended  from  the  limbs  of  trees  along 
the  route.  For  guide-posts  and  to  indicate  their  camping- 
places,  they  painted  on  the  bald  fronts  of  other  buffalo- 
skulls  the  date  and  number  of  miles  they  had  made. 

After  over  three  months  of  hardship  and  suffering,  this 
party  of  pioneers  reached  the  portals  of  their  destination. 


THE  MORMONS  113 

On  the  19th  of  July,  1847,  two  of  the  number  started 
from  the  advance  camp  soon  after  sunrise  to  make  a  re- 
connoissance  of  the  road,  which  left  Canon  Creek  and 
ran  along  through  a  ravine  to  the  west.  "  The  ascent 
was  gradual  for  about  four  miles,  when  the  dividing  ridge 
was  reached.  Here  the  two  pioneers  tied  their  horses, 
and  on  foot  ascended  a  near-by  mountain,  Big  Mountain 
by  name,  to  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the  country.  Previously, 
from  the  peaks  of  that  neighbourhood,  the  pathfinder  of 
the  pioneer  band  had  been  met  by  a  series  of  towering, 
snow-capped  mountains,  piled  seemingly  one  upon  the 
other,  ever  greeting  his  tired  vision  as  he  gazed  eagerly 
westward,  looking  for  the  Promised  Land.  But  this 
time  a  different  view  was  exposed.  To  the  southwest, 
through  a  vista  of  gradually-sloping  mountains,  through 
an  opening  in  the  canons,  the  light  blue  and  the  fleecy 
white  clouds  above  seemed  to  be  sinking  into  a  plain  of 
gold.  Two  small  portions  of  a  level  prairie  were  visible, 
and  beyond  rose  a  series  of  blue  mountains,  their  peaks 
tipped  with  snow.  It  was  the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt 
Lake  ! 

"  From  the  summit  of  the  Big  Mountain,  they  gazed  long 
and  earnestly  on  the  glorious  view.  First  they  looked 
upon  the  high  walls  surrounding  their  position  at  the 
time,  but  ever  would  their  eyes  turn  longingly  to  that 
little  panorama  of  life  and  colour  which  appeared  through 
a  gap  in  the  mountains,  the  yellow  and  green  of  the  val- 
ley, the  blue  and  white  of  the  sky,  with  a  foreground 
of  dark  mountains  clothed  in  darker  shrubbery.  The 
Oquirrhs  rose  majestically  in  the  centre  of  the  picture, 
and  far  beyond  them  a  dim,  shadowy  outline  of  the 
Onaqui  range,  which  completed  the  glorious  landscape." 

Previous  to  their  arrival  in  the  valley,  on  the  23d  of 
June,  the  Mormons  met  Jim  Bridger  and  two  of  his  em- 
ployees en  route  to  Fort  Laramie.     Bridger  was  told  that 


114 


THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 


he  was  tlie  mai\  of  all  men  wliom  they  had  been  looking 
for,  upon  which  he  advised  them  to  camp  right  where 
they  were,  and  he  would  tell  them  all  he  knew  about  the 
country  and  the  region  around  the  Great  Basin.     Camp 

was  accordingly  made, 
Bridger  took  supper 
with  Brigham  Young, 
and  the  information 
he  had  to  impart  was 
given  in  the  old  trap- 
per's usual  irregular 
way.  Learning  that 
the  destination  of  the 
Mormons  Avas  in  the 
Desert  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Valley,  Bridger  offered 
to  give  one  thousand 
dollars  for  the  first  ear 
of  corn  raised  there. 
"Wait  a  little,"  said 
the  president  of  the  Mormons,  "  and  we  will  sliow  you." 
In  describing  to  Brigham  Young  the  Great  Salt  Lake, 
which  he  called  "  Sevier  Lake,"  he  said  that  some  of  his 
men  had  spent  three  months  going  around  it  in  canoes 
hunting  beaver,  and  that  the  distance  was  five  hundred 
and  fifty  miles. 

In  1856  thousands  of  European  converts  to  the  new 
religion  emigrated  to  Utah.  On  their  arrival  in  this 
country,  however,  they  had  very  little  spare  cash.  It 
was  therefdre  decided  by  those  in  authority  that  they 
should  cross  the  plains  with  hand-carts,  in  wdiich  was  to 
be  hauled  their  baggage.  Wagons  were  provided  for 
tents,  provisions,  and  those  who  were  not  able  to  Avalk. 
In  a  circular  published  in  Liverpool  by  the  Presidency 
of  tlie  British  Isles,  among  other  things  it  recited  that 


dn^hdmyoun^ 


THE    MORMONS  115 

"The  Lord,  through  his  Prophet,  says  of  the  poor,  let 
them  gird  up  their  loins,  and  walk  through,  and  nothing 
shall  hinder  them." 

Iowa  City  was  the  point  where  the  poor  emigrants  were 
outfitted  and  received  their  hand-carts.  These  were 
somewhat  primitive  in  construction  :  "  The  shafts  being 
about  five  feet  long,  and  of  hickory  or  oak,  with  cross- 
pieces,  one  of  them  serving  for  a  handle,  forming  the 
bed  of  the  cart,  under  the  centre  of  which  was  a  wooden 


/fdnc/cdrtj  ujcd/n'      .  "      .  v '  "--    ''  ■     - 

7/ic  J^or/non /ndrcf)  to  (/M. 

axletree,  the  wheels  being  also  made  of  wood,  with  a 
light  iron  band,  and  the  entire  weight  of  the  vehicle  about 
sixty  pounds.  Better  carts  were  provided  in  subsequent 
years." 

To  each  one  hundred  persons  were  furnished  twenty 
hand-carts,  five  tents,  three  or  four  milch  cows,  and  a 
wagon  with  three  yoke  of  oxen  to  convey  the  provisions 
and  camp  equipage.  The  quantity  of  clothing  and  bed- 
ding was  limited  to  seventeen  pounds  per  capita,  and  the 
freight  of  each  cart,  including  cooking  utensils,  was 
about  one  hundred  pounds. 


116  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TllAIL 

One  of  the  companies  reached  the  old  winter  quar- 
ters near  the  middle  of  August,  and  there  held  a  meeting 
to  decide  whether  they  should  continue  the  journey 
or  encamp  for  the  winter.  They  had  yet  more  than  a 
thousand  miles  to  travel,  and  with  their  utmost  efforts 
could  not  expect  to  arrive  in  the  valley  until  late  in 
November.  The  matter  was  left  with  the  elders,  all  of 
whom,  excepting  one  named  Levi  Savage,  counselled  them 
to  go  forward  and  trust  in  the  Lord,  who  would  surely 
protect  them.  Savage  declared  that  they  should  trust, 
also,  to  such  common  sense  as  the  Lord  had  given  them. 
From  his  certain  knowledge,  the  company,  containing  as 
it  did  so  large  a  number  of  the  aged  and  infirm,  of 
women  and  children,  could  not  cross  the  mountains  thus 
late  in  the  season  without  much  suffering,  sickness,  and 
death.  He  was  overruled  and  rebuked  for  want  of  faith. 
"  Brethren  and  sisters,"  he  replied,  "  what  I  have  said  I 
know  to  be  true  ;  but  seeing  you  are  going  forward,  I 
will  go  with  you.  May  God  in  his  mercy  preserve  us." 
The  company  set  forth  from  their  camp  on  the  18th,  and 
on  each  hand-cart  was  now  placed  a  ninety-eight  pound 
sack  of  flour,  as  the  wagons  could  not  carry  the  entire 
load.  At  first  they  travelled  about  fifteen  miles  a  day, 
although  delays  were  caused  by  the  breaking  of  wheels 
and  axles.  The  heat  and  aridity  of  the  plains  and  moun- 
tains speedily  made  many  of  the  cart-Avheels  rickety  and 
unable  to  sustain  their  burdens  without  frequent  repairs. 
Some  shod  the  axles  of  their  carts  with  old  leather,  others 
with  tin  from  the  plates  and  kettles  of  their  mess  outfit ; 
and  for  grease  they  used  their  allowance  of  bacon,  and 
even  their  soap,  of  which  they  had  but  little.  On  reach- 
ing Wood  River  the  cattle  stampeded,  and  thirty  head 
were  lost,  the  remainder  being  only  sufficient  to  allow  one 
yoke  to  each  wagon.  The  beef  cattle,  milch  cows,  and 
heifers  were  used  as  draft  animals,  but  were  of  little  ser- 


THE   MORMONS  ll7 

vice,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  place  another  sack  of 
flour  on  each  hand-cart.  The  issue  of  beef  was  then 
stof)ped,  the  cows  gave  no  milk,  and  the  daily  ration  was 
reduced  to  a  pound  of  flour,  with  a  little  rice,  sugar, 
coffee,  and  bacon,  an  allowance  which  only  furnished 
breakfast  for  some  of  the  men,  who  fasted  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day. 

While  encamped  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte  the 
emigrants  were  overtaken  by  another  party  of  elders, 
returning  from  foreign  missions,  who  gave  them  what 
encouragement  they  could.  "Though  it  miglit  storm  on 
their  right  and  on  their  left  the  Lord  would  keep  open 
their  way  before  them,  and  they  would  reach  Zion  in 
safety."  After  camping  with  them  for  one  night,  the 
elders  went  on  their  way,  promising  to  leave  provisions 
for  them  at  Fort  Laramie  if  possible,  and  to  send  them 
aid  from  Salt  Lake  City.  On  reaching  Laramie  no  pro- 
visions were  found,  and  rations  were  again  reduced,  men 
able  to  work  receiving  twelve  ounces  of  flour  daily, 
women  and  old  men  nine  ounces,  and  children  from  four 
to  eight  ounces. 

As  the  emigrants  travelled  along  the  banks  of  the 
Sweetwater,  the  nights  became  severe,  and  their  bed- 
covering  was  now  insufficient.  Before  them  were  the 
mountains  clad  almost  to  the  base  with  snow,  where 
already  the  storms  of  winter  were  gathering.  Gradually 
the  old  and  infirm  began  to  droop,  and  soon  deaths  became 
frequent,  the  companies  seldom  leaving  their  camping- 
ground  witliout  burying  one  or  more  of  the  party.  Then 
able-bodied  men  began  to  succumb,  a  few  of  them  con- 
tinuing to  pull  their  carts  before  they  died,  and  one  or  two 
even  on  the  day  of  their  deaths.  On  the  morning  when 
the  first  snow-storm  occurred,  the  last  ration  of  flour  was 
issued,  and  a  march  of  sixteen  miles  was  before  them  to 
the   nearest    camping-ground   on  the    Sweetwater.     The 


118  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

task  seemed  hopeless,  but  at  noon  a  wagon  drove  up,  con- 
taining Joseph  A.  Young  and  Stephen  Taylor,  from  Salt 
Lake  City,  who  told  them  that  a  train  of  supplies  would 
reach  them  in  a  day  or  two.  Thus  encouraged,  the  emi- 
grants pushed  forward.  By  doubling  their  teams,  and  by 
the  strongest  of  the  party  helping  the  weak  to  drag  their 
carts,  all  reached  the  camping-ground,  though  some  of  the 
cattle  perished,  and  during  the  night  five  persons  died  of 
cold  and  exhaustion. 

In  the  morning  the  snow  was  a  foot  deep,  and  there 
remained  only  two  barrels  of  biscuits,  a  few  pounds  of 
sugar  and  dried  apples,  and  a  quarter  of  a  sack  of  rice. 
Two  of  the  disabled  cattle  were  killed,  their  carcasses 
issued  for  beef,  and  on  this  and  a  small  dole  of  biscuits 
the  emigrants  were  told  that  they  must  subsist  until  sup- 
plies reached  them..  The  small  remnant  of  provisions  was 
reserved  for  the  young  children  and  the  sick.  It  was  now 
decided  to  remain  in  camp,  while  the  captain  with  one  of 
the  elders  went  in  search  of  the  supply-trains.  The  small 
allowance  of  beef  and  biscuit  was  consumed  the  first  day, 
and  on  the  second  day  more  cattle  were  killed  and  eaten 
without  biscuit.  On  the  next  day  there  was  nothing  to 
eat,  for  no  more  cattle  could  be  spared.  Still  the  supplies 
came  not,  being  delayed  by  tlie  same  storm  which  the 
emigrants  had  encountered.  During  these  three  days 
many  died  and  numbers  sickened.  Some  expired  in  the 
arms  of  those  who  were  themselves  almost  at  the  point  of 
death.  Mothers  wrapped  with  their  dying  hands  the 
remnant  of  their  tattered  clothing  around  the  wan  forms 
of  their  perishing  infants.  The  most  pitiful  sight  of  all 
was  to  see  strong  men  begging  for  the  morsel  of  food  that 
had  been  set  apart  for  the  sick  and  helpless. 

It  was  now  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  and  the  sun 
was  sinking  behind  the  snow-clad  ranges  which  could  be 
traced  far  to  the  west  amid  the  clear,  frosty  atmosphere 


THE   MOllMONS  119 

of  the  desert.  There  were  many  who,  while  they  gazed 
on  this  scene,  did  not  expect  to  see  the  light  of  another 
day,  and  there  were  many  Avho  cared  for  life  no  longer, 
having  lost  all  that  makes  life  precious.  They  retired  to 
their  tents  and  commended  themselves  to  their  Maker,  lay 
down  to  rest,  perchance  to  die.  But  presently  a  shout  of 
joy  was  raised.  From  an  eminence  near  the  western  por- 
tion of  the  camp  covered  wagons  were  seen  approaching, 
with  the  captain  at  their  head.  Immediately  about  half 
of  the  provisions,  together  with  a  quantity  of  warm  cloth- 
ing, blankets,  and  buffalo-robes  were  distributed  to  the 
companies.  The  remainder  was  sent  forward  under  charge 
of  Grant  for  the  use  of  another  company. 

But  the  troubles  of  the  hand-cart  emigrants  were  not 
yet  at  an  end.  Some  were  already  beyond  all  human  aid, 
some  had  lost  their  reason,  and  around  others  the  blackness 
of  despair  had  settled,  all  efforts  to  rouse  them  from  their 
stupor  being  unavailing.  Each  day  the  weather  grew 
colder,  and  many  were  frost-bitten,  losing  fingers,  toes,  or 
ears,  one  sick  man  who  held  on  to  the  wagon  bars  to 
avoid  jolting  having  all  his  fingers  frozen.  At  a  camp- 
ing-ground at  Willow  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Sweet- 
water, fifteen  people  were  buried,  thirteen  of  them  having 
been  frozen  to  death.  Near  South  Pass  another  company 
of  the  brethren  met  them,  with  supplies  from  Salt  Lake 
City,  and  from  the  trees  near  their  camp  several  quarters 
of  fat  beef  were  suspended  —  "a  picture,"  says  Chislett, 
who  had  charge  of  one  of  tlie  companies,  "  that  far  sur- 
passed the  paintings  of  the  ancient  masters."  From  this 
point  warm  weather  prevailed,  and  fresh  teams  from  the 
valley  constantly  met  them,  distributing  provisions  suffi- 
cient for  their  needs,  and  then  travelling  eastward  to  meet 
the  other  company. 

On  reaching  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  9th  of  November,  it 
was  found  that  sixty-seven  out  of  a  total  of  four  hundred 


120  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

and  twenty  had  died  on  the  journey.  Of  the  six  hundred 
emigrants  included  in  Martin's  detaclnnent,  Avhich  arrived 
there  three  weeks  later,  a  smaller  percentage  perished. 
The  storm  which  overtook  the  party  on  the  Sweetwater 
reached  them  on  the  North  Platte.  There  they  encamped 
and  waited  about  ten  days  for  the  weather  to  moderate. 
Their  rations  were  reduced  to  four  ounces  of  flour  per 
head  a  day,  for  a  few  days,  until  relief  came.  On  arriving 
at  Salt  Lake  City  the  survivors  were  received  with  the 
utmost  kindness. 

On  their  arrival  at  Devil's  Gate  on  the  Sweetwater, 
twenty  men  belonging  to  the  other  company  were  left  in 
charge  of  stock,  merchandise,  and  baggage,  with  orders  to 
follow  in  the  spring.  The  snow  fell  deep,  and  many 
of  the  cattle  were  devoured  by  the  wolves,  while  others 
perished  from  cold.  The  rest  were  slaughtered,  and  on 
their  frozen  carcasses  the  men  subsisted,  their  small  stock 
of  flour  and  salt  now  being  exhausted.  Game  was  scarce 
in  the  neighbourhood,  and  with  their  utmost  care  the 
supply  of  food  could  not  hold  out  until  spring.  Two  of 
the  men,  with  the  only  horses  tliat  remained,  were  sent  to 
Platte  Bridge  to  obtain  supplies ;  but  the  animals  were 
lost,  and  they  returned  empty-handed.  Presently  the 
meat  was  all  consumed,  and  then  their  only  resource  was 
the  hides,  which  were  cut  into  small  pieces  and  soaked  in 
hot  water,  after  the  hair  had  been  removed.  When  the 
last  hide  had  been  eaten,  nothing  remained  but  their  boot- 
tops  and  the  scraps  of  leather  from  their  wagon.  Even 
the  neck-piece  of  a  buffalo-skin  which  liad  served  as  a 
door-mat  was  used  for  food.  Thus  they  kept  themselves 
alive  until  spring,  when  they  subsisted  on  thistle-roots 
and  wild  garlic,  until  at  length  relief  came  from  Salt  Lake 
City.i 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1857,  John  B.   Floyd,  then 

^  Bancroft. 


THE   MORMONS  121 

Secretary  of  War,  in  liis  report  to  James  Buchanan, 
President  of  the  United  States,  states  that  the  people  of 
Utah  implicitly  obeyed  their  prophet,  and  that  from  the 
first  day  of  their  settlement  in  the  territory  it  had  been 
their  aim  to  secede  from  the  Union.  He  says  that  for 
years  they  had  not  even  pretended  obedience  to  Federal 
authority,  and  that  they  encouraged  roaming  bands  of 
Indians  to  rob  and  massacre  the  emigrants  bound  for  the 
Pacific  coast. 

Previous  to  the  assembling  of  any  troops  for  duty  in 
Utah  to  enforce  obedience  to  the  laws  of  the  government, 
an  opinion  was  asked  of  General  Winfield  Scott,  then 
commanding  the  army,  as  to  the  feasibility  of  sending  an 
armed  expedition  into  the  territory.  Scott's  decision 
was  most  emphatically  against  the  proposition  to  send 
troops  there  so  late  in  the  season.  The  general's  advice 
was  not  heeded,  however,  and  in  May  orders  were  pro- 
mulgated that  the  Fifth  and  Tenth  Infantry,  the  Second 
Dragoons,  and  a  battery  of  the  Fourth  Artillery  should 
assemble  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  with  the  Valley 
of  the  Salt  Lake  as  their  objective  point. 

In  June,   1858,    more  than    six  thousand  troops  were 
mobilized  for  Utah,  and  the  command  was  given  to  Brig-         \l 
adier-General  W.  S.  Harney. 

In  the  whole  military  history  of  the  country,  before  the 
Civil  War,  no  expedition  had  ever  been  better  equipped  and 
rationed  than  that  which  was  to  be  called  "The  Army  of 
Occupation  in  Utah."  Thousands  of  cattle  and  immense 
supply-trains  were  started  across  the  plains  in  advance. 
The  price  for  the  transportation  was  twenty-two  cents 
a  pound. 

These  exorbitant  contracts  made  the  lucky  individuals 
who  had  secured  them  very  wealthy.  By  a  little  political 
wire-pulling  he  who  had  secured  the  flour  contract  ob- 
tained permission  to  provide  the  troops  with  Utah  flour. 


122  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

It  cost  him  but  seven  cents  a  pound,  but  he  received  the 
twenty-two  cents  which  it  would  have  cost  to  have  trans- 
ported it  from  the  States. 

Tliis  hirge  army  was  stationed  in  Utah  Territory  for 
nearly  four  3^ears.  It  is  stated  on  good  authority  that  the 
private  soldiers  asked  of  each  other,  "  Why  were  we  sent 
here?  Wliy  are  we  kept  here?  "  while  the  common  people 
wondered  whether  the  authorities  at  Washington  kept 
them  there  to  make  the  contractors  rich. 

At  that  time  the  people  of  the  territory  were  in  a 
starving  condition  in  consequence  of  the  failure  of  crops 
and  the  unusually  severe  winter  of  1856-1857.  There 
were  thousands  who  for  over  a  year  had  never  realized 
what  a  full  meal  meant;  children  by  the  hundreds  "en- 
dured the  gnawings  of  hunger  until  hunger  had  become 
to  them  a  second  nature";  yet  despite  this  condition  of 
affairs  the  orders  issued  to  General  Harney  from  Washing- 
ton disjjlay  a  lamentable  ignorance,  or  a  determination  to 
compel  the  Mormons  to  feed  the  troops  on  the  basis  of 
the  miracle  of  "the  loaves  and  fishes."  His  instructions 
were  as  follows:  "  It  is  not  doubted  that  a  surplus  of  pro- 
visions and  forage,  beyond  the  wants  of  the  resident 
population,  will  be  found  in  the  Valley  of  Utah,  and  that 
the  inhabitants,  if  assured  by  energy  and  justice,  will  be 
ready  to  sell  them  to  the  troops.  Hence,  no  instructions 
are  given  you  for  the  extreme  event  of  tlie  troops  being 
in  absolute  need  of  such  supplies,  and  their  being  with- 
held by  the  inhabitants.  The  necessities  of  such  an  oc- 
casion would  furnish  a  law  for  your  guidance. 

Exactly  the  reverse  of  what  was  intended  by  the  au- 
thorities at  Washington  occurred  in  Utah.  In  another 
chapter  it  is  shown  how  the  Mormons  stampeded  the  cat- 
tle of  the  supply-trains,  and  robbed  them  of  their  contents, 
so  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  Mormons  themselves  sub- 
sisted on  the  rations  intended  for  the  troops,  completely 


THE   MORMONS  123 

controverting  wliat  was  implied  in  the  orders  to  General 
Harney. 

On  the  day  after  the  departure  from  Salt  Lake  of  the 
officers  ^  sent  on  a  special  mission  to  investigate  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs  in  Utah,  Brigham  Young  issued  a  procla- 
mation declaring  martial  law  in  Utah,  forbidding  all 
armed  forces  to  enter  the  territory  under  any  pretence 
whatever,  and  ordering  the  Mormon  militia  to  be  in  readi- 
ness to  march  at  a  moment's  notice.  It  is  probable  that 
the  Nauvoo  Legion,  which  now  included  the  entire  military 
force  of  the  territory,  mustered  at  this  date  from  four  to 
five  thousand  men. 

Though  imperfectly  armed  and  equipped,  and,  of  course, 
no  match  for  regular  troops,  the  INIormons  were  not  to  be 
held  in  contempt.  In  July,  1857,^  the  Nauvoo  Legion  had 
been  reorganized,  the  two  cohorts,  now  termed  divisions, 
having  each  a  nominal  strength  of  two  thousand.  The 
division  consisted  of  two  brigades;  the  brigades  of  two 
regiments  ;  the  regiments  of  five  battalions,  each  of  a  hun- 
dred men,  the  battalions  being  divided  into  companies  of 
fifty,  and  the  companies  into  platoons  of  ten.  Each  pla- 
toon was  in  charge  of  a  lieutenant,  whose  duty  it  was 
carefully  to  inspect  the  arms,  ammunition,  and  accoutre- 
ments. All  able-bodied  males  in  the  territory,  excej^ting 
those  exempt  by  law,  were  liable  to  military  duty,  and  it 
is  probable  that  the  jNIormons  could  have  put  in  the  field 
not  less  than  seven  thousand  raw  troops,  half  disciplined, 
indeed,  but  inured  to  hardship,  and  from  the  very  nature 
of  their  environmont  splendid  rifle-shots. 

1  Captain  Stuart  Van  Vliet,  U.  S.  A. 

2  In  reciting  the  preparations  for  the  impending  war  on  the  part  of  the 
Mormons,  tlie  hardsliips  of  the  United  States  troops,  and  otlier  incidents 
relating  to  the  troubles  in  Utah  Territorj^  the  autliors  of  this  volume 
quote  freely  from  Bancroft,  Senate  and  House  Documents  of  the  Thirty- 
third  Congress,  as  well  as  reports  of  the  War  Department. 


124  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE  TRAIL 

It  was  not  tlie  intention  of  the  INIornions  to  encounter 
the  army  of  Utah  in  the  open  field,  or  even  behind  breast- 
works, if  it  couhl  be  avoided.  In  order  to  exphiin  their 
tactics  a  despatch  sent  by  the  lieutenant-general  of  the 
Nauvoo  Legion  to  Major  Joseph  Taylor  will  make  plain 
wliat  they  proposed  to  do. 

"  On  ascertaining  the  locality  or  route  of  the  troops, 
proceed  at  once  to  annoy  them  in  every  possible  way. 
Use  every  exertion  to  stampede  their  animals  and  set  fire 
to  their  trains.  Burn  the  whole  country  before  them  and 
on  their  flanks.  Keep  them  from  sleeping  by  night  sur- 
prises ;  blockade  the  road  by  felling  trees  or  destroying 
the  river-fords  where  you  can.  Watch  for  opportunities 
to  set  fire  to  the  grass  on  their  windward,  so  as,  if  pos- 
sible, to  envelop  their  trains.  Leave  no  grass  before  them 
that  can  be  burned.  Keep  your  men  concealed  as  much 
as  possible,  and  guard  against  surprises.  Save  life  always, 
when  it  is  possible ;  we  do  not  wish  to  shed  a  drop  of 
blood  if  it  can  be  avoided."'  ^ 

When  General  Harney  had  joined  his  command  and 
heard  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  Utah,  he  said  in  his  charac- 
teristic bluff  manner  :  "I  am  ordered  there,  and  I  will 
winter  in  the  valley  or  in  hell !  "  Before  he  reached  the 
portals  of  the  territor}^  hoAvever,  his  services  again  being 
demanded  in  Kansas,  Colonel  Albert  Sidney  Johnston, 
then  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  army  of  Utah,  and  during  the  interim 
Colonel  Alexander  assumed  command  of  the  forces. 

About  the  middle  of  August,  General  Wells,  in  com- 
mand of  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  men,  supplied  with 
thirty  days'  rations,  established  headquarters  at  Echo 
Cafion.  Through  this  canon,  the  Mormons  supposed, 
lay  the  path  of  the  invading  army,  the  only  means  of 

1  Taylor  was  captured  by  the  United  States  troops  about  sixteen  miles 
from  Fort  Bridger,  and  the  letter  of  instruction  found  on  his  person. 


THE   MORMONS  125 

avoiding  the  gorge  being  by  a  circuitous  route  northward 
to  Soda  Springs,  and  thence  by  way  of  Bear  River  Valley, 
or  the  Wind  River  Mountains.  On  the  western  side  of 
the  caiion  dams  and  ditches  were  constructed,  by  means 
of  which  the  road  could  be  submerged  to  a  depth  of  sev- 
eral feet.  At  the  eastern  side  stone  heaps  were  collected 
and  bowlders  loosened  from  the  overhanging  rocks,  so 
tliat  a  slight  leverage  would  hurl  them  on  the  passing 
troops,  and  parapets  were  built  as  a  protection  for  sharp- 
shooters.^ 

At  this  juncture  a  letter  from  General  Wells  was  de- 
livered to  Colonel  Alexander,  together  with  copies  of  the 
organic  act,  the  law  of  Utah,  the  proclamation  forbidding 
the  entrance  of  armed  forces  into  the  territory,  and  a  de- 
spatch from  Brigham  Young.  The  last  was  a  remarkable 
document,  and  must  have  been  somewhat  of  a  surprise  to 
the  colonel,  who  had  proved  himself  one  of  the  most  gal- 
lant soldiers  of  the  Mexican  War.  He  was  informed  that 
he,  Brigham  Young,  was  still  governor  of  Utah,  who 
ordered  him  to  withdraw  by  the  same  route  he  had  en- 
tered. Should  he  desire,  however,  to  remain  until  spring 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  present  encampment,  he  must 
surrender  his  arms  and  ammunition  to  the  Mormon  quar- 
termastsr-general,  in  which  case  he  would  be  supplied 
with  provisions,  and  would  not  be  molested. 

Colonel  Alexander  replied  in  brief  and  business-like 
phrase.  He  addressed  Brigham  Young  as  governor  ; 
stated  that  he  would  submit  his  letter  to  the  command- 
ing officer  immediately  on  his  arrival  ;  that  meanwhile 
the  troops  were  there  by  order  of  the  President,  and  that 
their  future  movements  and  operations  would  depend  on 
orders  issued  by  competent  military  authority. 

1  The  remains  of  those  dams  and  breastworks  could  be  seen  for  many 
years  afterward,  by  travellers  on  the  trains  of  the  LTuion  Pacific  Railroad 
which  passed  through  the  caiion. 


126  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

In  writing  to  brother  officers  en  route  to  join  their  com- 
mands, Colonel  Alexander  said  :  "  No  information  of  the 
position  or  intentions  of  the  commanding  officer  has 
reached  me,  and  I  am  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  object  of 
the  government  in  sending  troops  here,  or  the  instruc- 
tions given  for  their  conduct  after  reaching  here.  I  have 
decided  on  the  following  points  :  First,  the  necessity  of 
a  speedy  move  to  winter  quarters  ;  second,  the  selection 
of  a  point  for  wintering ;  third,  the  best  method  of  con- 
ducting the  troops  and  supplies  to  the  point  selected." 

A  council  of  war  was  held,  and  the  point  selected  was 
Fort  Hall,  on  Beaver  Head  Mountain,  one  hundred  and 
forty  miles  from  Fort  Bridger.  So  little  did  the  colonel 
know  about  the  disposition  of  the  command,  that  at  the 
time  and  place  when  he  expected  to  be  joined  by  Colonel 
Smith,  in  charge  of  supply-trains,  that  officer  was  still  at 
the  South  Pass,  with  an  escort  of  two  hundred  men. 

On  the  11th  of  October  the  troops  commenced  their 
march.  Snow  was  falling  heavily,  and  for  several  days 
they  were  compelled  to  cut  a  path  for  their  wagons 
through  the  dense  brush,  their  trains  being  still  of  such 
unwield}^  length  that  the  vanguard  had  reached  its  camp- 
ing-ground at  nightfall  before  the  rear  guard  had  moved 
from  its  camp  of  the  preceding  day.  Meanwhile  bands  of 
Mormons,  under  their  nimble  and  ubiquitous  leaders, 
hung  on  their  flanks,  just  out  of  ritle-shot,  harassing  them 
at  every  step,  seven  hundred  oxen  being  captured  and 
driven  to  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  13th  ! 

There  was  as  yet  no  cavalry  in  the  force.  A  few  infantry 
companies  were  mounted  on  mules  and  sent  in  pursuit  of 
the  guerillas,  but  the  Saints  merely  laughed  at  them, 
terming  them  jackass  cavalry. 

The  grass  had  been  burned  along  the  route,  and  the 
draught  animals  were  so  weak  that  they  could  travel  only 
three  miles  a  day.     Wlien  the  point  was  reached  where 


THE   MORMONS  127 

Smith's  detachment  was  expected  to  join  the  army,  the 
commander,  disappointed  and  sorely  perplexed,  called  a 
council  of  war,  at  which  many  of  the  officers  were  in  favour 
of  cutting  their  way  through  the  caiions  at  all  hazard. 

•  At  this  juncture  a  despatch  was  received  from  General 
Johnston,  who  was  now  at  South  Pass,  ordering  the  troops 
to  proceed  to  Fontenelle  Creek,  where  pasture  was  abun- 
dant, and  a  few  days  later  a  second  despatch  directed  them 
to  march  to  a  point  three  miles  below  the  junction  of 
Ham  and  Black  Forks,  the  colonel  stating  that  he  would 
join  them  there.  On  the  3d  of  November  they  reached 
the  place  of  rendezvous,  where  Johnston  arrived  the  fol- 
lowing day,  with  a  reenforcement  of  cavalry  and  the 
supply-trains  in  charge  of  Smith. 

Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  a  favourite  officer,  and  had 
already  given  earnest  of  the  qualities  that  he  displayed  a 
few  years  later  in  the  campaigns  of  the  Civil  War,  on  the 
Confederate  side.  The  morale  of  the  army  was  at  once 
restored,  and  each  man  put  forth  his  utmost  energy  at  the 
touch  of  this  excellent  soldier.  But  their  troubles  were 
not  yet  ended.  The  expedition  was  now  ordered  to  Fort 
Bridger,  and  at  every  step  difficulties  increased.  There 
were  only  thirty-five  miles  to  be  travelled,  but  excepting 
on  the  margin  of  a  few  slender  streams  the  country 
through  which  their  route  lay  was  the  barest  of  desert 
land.  There  was  no  shelter  from  the  chill  blasts  of  this 
mountain  solitude,  where,  even  in  November,  the  ther- 
mometer sometimes  sank  to  sixteen  degrees  below  zero. 
There  was  no  fuel  but  the  wild  sage  and  willow  ;  there 
was  little  pasture  for  the  half-frozen  cattle. 

The  march  continued  on  the  6th  of  November,  and  on 
the  previous  night  five  hundred  of  the  strongest  oxen  had 
been  stolen  by  the  Mormons.  The  train  extended  over 
six  miles,  and  all  day  long  snow  and  sleet  fell  on  the 
retreating  column.     Some  of  the  men  were  frost-bitten, 


128  THE   GKEAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

and  the  exhausted  animals  were  goaded  In  their  drivers 
until  many  fell  dead  in  their  traces.  At  sunset  the  troops 
encamped  wherever  they  could  find  a  particle  of  shelter, 
some  under  bluffs,  and  some  in  the  willow  copses.  At 
daybreak  the  camp  was  surrounded  by  the  carcasses  of 
frozen  cattle.  Several  hundred  beasts  had  perished  dur- 
ing the  night.  Still,  as  the  trains  arrived  from  the  rear, 
each  one  halted  for  a  day  or  more,  giving  time  for  the 
cattle  to  rest  and  graze  on  such  scant  herbage  as  they 
could  find.  To  press  forward  rapidly  was  impossible,  for 
it  would  have  cost  the  lives  of  most  of  the  draught 
animals  ;  to  find  shelter  was  equally  impossible,  for  there 
was  none.  There  was  no  alternative  but  to  proceed 
slowly  and  persistently,  saving  as  many  as  possible  of  the 
horses,  mules,  and  oxen.  Fifteen  days  were  required  for 
this  difficult  operation. 

Meanwhile  Colonel  Philip  St.  George  Cooke,  who 
arrived  on  the  19th  by  Avay  of  Fort  Laramie,  at  the  head 
of  five  hundred  dragoons,  had  fared  no  better  than  the 
main  body,  having  lost  nearly  half  of  his  cattle. 

On  the  5th  the  command  of  Colonel  Cooke  passed  the 
Devil's  Gate.  While  crossing  what  he  calls  a  four-mile 
hill,  he  writes  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  north  wind  and  drifting  snow  became  severe  ; 
the  air  seemed  turned  to  frozen  fog  ;  nothing  could  be 
seen  ;  we  were  struggling  in  a  freezing  cloud.  The  lofty 
wall  at  Three  Crossings  was  a  happy  relief ;  but  the 
guide,  who  had  lately  passed  there,  was  relentless  in  pro- 
nouncing that  there  was  no  grass.  As  he  promised  grass 
and  shelter  two  miles  farther,  we  marched  on,  crossing 
twice  more  the  rocky  stream,  half  choked  with  snow  and 
ice  ;  finally  he  led  us  behind  a  great  granite  rock,  but  all 
too  small  for  the  promised  shelter.  Only  a  part  of  the 
regiment  could  huddle  up  there  in  the  deep  snow ;  whilst 
the  long  night  through  the  storm  continued,  and  in  fear- 


THE   MORMONS  129 

ful  eddies  from  above,  before,  behind,  drove  the  falling 
and  drifting  snow." 

Meanwhile  the  animals  were  driven  once  more  across 
the  stream  to  tlie  base  of  a  granite  ridge  which  faced 
the  storm,  but  where  there  was  no  grass.  They  refused  to 
eat,  the  mules  huddling  together  and  moaning  piteously, 
while  some  of  the  horses  broke  away  from  the  guard  and 
went  back  to  the  ford.  The  next  day  better  camping- 
ground  was  reached  ten  miles  farther  on.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  8th  the  thermometer  marked  forty-four  degrees 
below  freezing  point ;  but  in  this  weather  and  through 
deep  snow  the  men  made  eighteen  miles,  and  the  following 
day  nineteen  miles,  to  the  next  camping-grounds  on  Bitter 
Creek,  and  in  the  valley  of  Sweetwater.  On  the  10th 
matters  were  still  worse.  Herders  left  to  bring  up  the 
rear  with  stray  mules  could  not  force  them  from  the 
valley,  and  there  three-fourths  of  them  were  left  to 
perish.  Nine  horses  were  also  abandoned.  At  night  the 
thermometer  marked  twenty-five  degrees  below  zero  ; 
nearly  all  the  tent-pins  were  broken,  and  nearly  forty 
soldiers  and  teamsters  were  on  the  sick  list,  most  of  them 
being  frost-bitten.  "The  earth,"  writes  the  colonel, 
"  has  no  more  lifeless,  treeless,  grassless  desert ;  it  con- 
tains scarcely  a  wolf  to  glut  itself  on  the  hundreds  of  dead 
and  frozen  animals  which  for  thirty  miles  nearly  block  the 
road." 

At  length  the  army  arrived  at  Fort  Bridger  —  to  find 
that  the  buildings  in  and  around  it,  together  with  those 
at  Fort  Supply,  twelve  miles  distant,  had  been  burnt  to 
the  ground  by  Mormons,  and  the  grain  and  other  provi- 
sions removed  or  destroyed.  All  that  remained  were 
two  enclosures  surrounded  by  walls  of  cobblestone 
cemented  with  mortar,  the  larger  one  being  a  hundred 
feet  square.  This  was  appropriated  for  supplies,  while 
on  the  smaller  one  lunettes  were  built  and  mounted  with 

K 


130  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

cannon.  A  sufficient  garrison  was  stationed  at  this  point; 
the  cattle  were  sent  for  the  winter  to  Henry  Fork  in 
charge  of  Colonel  Cooke  and  six  companies  of  the  Second 
Dragoons,  and  about  the  end  of  November  the  remainder 
of  the  troops  went  into  winter  quarters  on  Black  Fork  of 
the  Green  River,  two  or  three  miles  beyond  Fort  Bridger, 
and  a  hundred  and  fifteen  from  Salt  Lake  City.  The  site, 
to  which  was  given  the  name  of  Fort  Scott,  was  sheltered 
by  bluffs  rising  abruptly  at  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the 
bed  of  the  stream.  Near  by  were  clumps  of  cottonwood 
which  the  Mormons  had  a,ttempted  to  burn  ;  but  the  wood 
being  green  and  damp,  tlie  fire  had  merely  scorched  the 
bark. 

Though  most  of  the  beef  cattle  had  been  carried  off  by 
the  Mormons  or  Indians,  a  sufficient  number  of  draught 
animals  remained  to  furnish  meat  for  seven  months  dur- 
ing six  days  of  the  week,  while  of  bacon  there  was  enough 
for  one  day  in  the  week,  and  by  reducing  the  ration  of 
flour,  coffee,  and  other  articles,  they  might  also  be  made 
to  last  until  the  first  of  June.  Parties  were  at  once  sent 
to  Oregon  and  New  Mexico  to  procure  cattle  and  remounts 
for  the  cavalry.  Meantime  shambles  were  built,  to  which 
the  starved  animals  at  Fort  Henry  were  driven,  and  butch- 
ered as  soon  as  they  had  gathered  a  little  flesh,  their  meat 
being  jerked  and  stored  for  future  use. 

There  was  not  an  ounce  of  salt  in  the  entire  camp  ;  a 
supply  was  proffered  as  a  gift  from  Brigham  Young,  whom 
Johnston  now  termed,  "  The  great  Mormon  rebel,"  which 
was  rejected  with  contempt.  Salt  was  secretly  brought 
into  the  camp,  but  the  commander  would  eat  none  of  it,  and 
the  officer's  mess  was  soon  after  supplied  by  the  Indians 
at  the  rate  of  five  dollars  a  pound  I 

Thus  did  the  army  of  Utah  pass  the  winter  of  1857- 
1858,  amid  privations  no  less  severe  than  those  endured  at 
Valley  Forge  eighty-one  years  before. 


THE   MORMONS  131 

But  meanwhile  events  occurred  which  promised  a  peace- 
ful solution  of  the  difficulty.  The  spirited  resistance  of 
the  Saints  had  called  forth  unfavourable  comments  on 
Buchanan's  policy  throughout  the  United  States  and  Eu- 
rope. He  had  virtually  made  war  upon  the  territory  be- 
fore any  declaration  had  been  issued  ;  he  had  sent  forward 
an  army  before  the  causes  of  offence  had  been  fairly  inves- 
tigated ;  and  now,  at  this  critical  juncture  in  the  nation's 
history  when  there  was  a  possibility  of  the  disruption  of 
the  Union,  he  was  about  to  lock  up  in  a  distant  and  almost 
inaccessible  region  more  than  one-third  of  the  nation's 
war  material,  and  nearly  all  of  its  best  troops.  Even  the 
soldiers  themselves,  though  in  a  cheerful  mood  and  in 
excellent  condition,  had  no  heart  for  the  approaching 
campaign,  accepting,  as  they  did,  the  commonly  received 
opinion  that  it  was  merely  a  move  on  the  President's 
political  chess-board.  In  a  word,  Buchanan  and  the 
Washington  politicians  and  the  Johnston-Harney  army 
must  confess  themselves  hopelessly  beaten,  before  a  blow 
was  struck.  The  army  was  powerless  before  the  people 
they  had  come  to  punish.  All  that  remained  to  do  was 
to  forgive  the  Mormons  and  let  them  go. 

Through  the  pressure  brought  to  bear,  the  President 
was  induced  to  stop  the  threatened  war.  On  the  6th  of 
April  he  signed  a  proclamation  promising  amnesty  to  all 
who  returned  to  their  allegiance  ;  and  on  the  26th  of  June, 
1858,  the  army  of  Utah  entered  the  Valley  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake. 

Thus  ended  this  farcical  demonstration  on  the  part  of 
the  government  —  a  war  without  a  battle !  There  was, 
perhaps,  no  genuine  basis  of  necessity  upon  which  to  organ- 
ize the  expensive  and  disastrous  expedition  against  the 
Mormons.  The  real  cause,  perhaps,  should  be  attributed 
to  the  clamour  of  other  religious  sects  against  what  they 
held  to  be  an  unorthodox  belief. 


132  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

The  City  of  Salt  Lake,  the  capital  of  the  Mormon  set- 
tlement, was  founded  upon  the  arrival  of  that  sect  in  the 
\  alley  in  1847.  It  is  situated  in  latitude  40  degrees  46 
minutes  north,  and  longitude  112  degrees  6  minutes  west, 
(from  Greenwich),  at  the  foot  of  the  western  slope  of  the 
Wahsatch  Mountains,  an  extensive  chain  of  lofty  hills, 
forming  a  portion  of  the  eastern  boundary  of  what  is 
known  in  our  geography  as  the  Great  Basin. 

The  growth  of  this  delightful  mountain  city  in  its  arid, 
desolate  environment  is  a  monument  to  the  patience,  in- 
dustry, and  devotion  to  a  principle  which  has  few  parallels. 

The  corporate  limits  aggregate  about  fifty  square  miles  ; 
no  city  in  the  world,  perhaps,  possesses  streets  of  such  an 
extraordinary  width.  Tlirough  their  whole  vast  length 
the  magnificent  trees  which  fringe  them  are  irrigated  by 
streams  of  pure  water  flowing  from  the  several  canons  in 
the  vicinity.  By  this  constant  passage  of  these  mountain 
streams,  the  air  is  deliciously  cooled,  and  Salt  Lake  City 
made  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  charming  places  on 
the  North  American  continent. 

It  is  declared  by  the  faithful  that  Brigham  Young 
affirmed  it  was  in  a  vision  that  the  place  was  desig- 
nated to  him  by  an  angel  from  heaven  as  the  exact  spot 
where  the  capital  of  Zion  should  be  built. 

By  the  requirements  of  an  original  ordinance  each  resi- 
dence was  to  be  located  twenty  feet  in  the  rear  of  the  lot, 
the  intervening  space  forming  a  little  park  filled  with 
flowers,  trees,  and  shrubbery.  By  the  same  system  of 
irrigation  which  flows  through  the  streets  to  nourish  the 
trees,  the  water  runs  into  every  garden  spot,  and  produces 
a  beauty  of  verdure  in  what  was  once  the  most  barren  of 
wastes. 

Even  in  its  infancy.  Salt  Lake  City  was  the  only  charm- 
ing spot  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
for  in  the  early  days  of  the  hazardous  j)assage  across  the 


THE    MORMONS 


133 


jilains,  the  whole  region  with  rare  exceptions  was  conspicu- 
ous for  the  entire  absence  of  trees.  There  was  one  monoto- 
nous blaze  of  sunshine,  day  after  day,  as  the  caravans  and 
overland  coaches  plodded  through  the  alkali  dust  of  the 
desert.  The  weary  traveller  gazed  upon  nothing  but 
seemingl}^  interminable  prairies  and  naked  elevations, 
destitute  of  verdure,  or  as  he  entered  the  rock-ribbed 
Continental  Divide,  only  rugged  mountains  relieved  the 
eternal  sameness  of  his  surroundings.     Salt  Lake  City, 


Morwon  Tempfe 

Jd/f-ld/ceOfy. 

nestling  in  its  wealth  of  trees  and  flowers,  was  a  second 
"Diamond  of  the  Desert."  In  its  welcome  shade,  the 
dusty  traveller,  like  the  solitary  Sir  Kenneth,  reposed 
*  his  jaded  limbs  and  dreamed  of  the  babbling  brooks 
and  waving  woodlands  he  had  left  a  thousand  miles 
behind  him. 

The  temple  and  the  tabernacle,  of  purely  Mormon  con- 
ception, are  the  most  elaborate  and  attractive  architec- 
tural structures  in  the  city. 

It  is  claimed  by  the  faithful  that  the  site  of  the  temple 
was  announced  by  Brigham  Young  to  his  people  on  an 


134 


THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 


evening  in  July,  1847,  a  very  short  time  after  the  arrival 
of  the  Mormon  pioneers.  The  story  runs  that  while 
roaming  in  company  with  some  of  his  apostles,  about  the 
region  of  the  camp,  discussing  and  declaring  that  where 
they  had  halted  was  the  very  place  on  which  to  rear  the 
new  Zion,  the  prophet  stuck  his  cane  in  the  ground  and 
said  to  those  who  were  with  liim,  "  Here  is  where  the 
temple  of  our  God  shall  rise." 

Of  course  there  was  no  appeal  from  his  dictum,  and 
from  the  moment  of  his  declaration  that  spot  was  re- 
garded as  sacred  by  all  the  people,  who  firmly  believed 
that  when  their  leader  spoke  it  was  through  inspiration 
from  heaven. 


"Jne  Jndidn  of 


CHAPTER   YU 

MOUNTAIN       MEADOWS       MASSACRE  —  INDIANS       ATTACK       THE 

WAGONS LEE     OFFERS     PROTECTION AMBUSHED     BY     LEE 

—  LEE  FLIES  TO  THE  MOUNTAINS MORMON  CHURCH  AC- 
QUITTED  EXECUTION  OF  JOHN  D.  LEE TEMPORARY  TOLL- 
BRIDGES INDIAN  RAIDS  ON  CATTLE  RANCHES STUTTER- 
ING   BROWN GRAVES    ALONG    THE    TRAIL 


Jo^/?  D.  Ice 


HE  most  terrible  fate 
that  ever  befell  a  cara- 
van on  the  Old  Trail 
was  that  known  to  his- 
tory as  the  Mountain 
Meadows  INIassacre. 
The  story  of  this 
damnable,  outrageous,  and 
wholesale  murder  is  as 
follows  :  — 
In  the  spring  of  1857  a 
band  of  emigrants  numbering 
ly-  -, •  ^  one  hundred  and  thirty-six,  from 
Missouri  and  Arkansas,  set  out  for 
Southern  California.  The  party  had  about 
six  hundred  head  of  cattle,  thirty  wagons,  and  thirty 
horses  and  mules.  At  least  thirty  thousand  dollars  worth 
of  plunder  was  collected  by  the  assassins  after  the 
massacre. 

Owing  to  the  impending  war  between  the  United  States 
and  the  ]\Iormons,  the  Saints  had  been  ordered  not  to 
furnish  any  emigrant  trains  with  supplies.     In  view  of 

135 


136  THE    GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

this  fact  the  leaders  of  the  tram  found  it  difficult  to  get 
provisions  for  the  party  after  reaching  the  territory 
occupied  by  that  sect.  The  party  reached  Salt  Lake 
and  camped  about  the  end  of  July,  but  finding  the  Mor- 
mons in  so  unfriendly  a  mood,  decided  to  break  camp 
and  move  on.  Continuing  their  journey,  they  proceeded 
to  Beaver  City,  thence  to  Parowan,  where  they  obtained  a 
scanty  supply  of  provisions. 

Arriving  at  Cedar  City,  they  succeeded  in  purchasing 
about  fifty  bushels  of  Avheat,  which  was  ground  at  a  mill 
belonging  to  John  D.  Lee,  formerly  commander  of  the 
fort  at  Cedar,  but  then  Indian  agent,  and  in  charge  of 
an  Indian  farm  near  Harmony. 

About  thirty  miles  to  the  southwest  of  Cedar  are  the 
Mountain  JNIeadows,  which  form  the  divide  between 
the  waters  of  the  Great  Basin  and  those  which  flow  into 
the  Colorado.  At  the  south  end  of  the  Meadows,  which 
are  four  to  five  miles  in  length  and  one  in  width,  but  here 
run  to  a  narrow  point,  is  a  large  stream,  the  banks  of 
which  are  about  ten  feet  in  height.  Close  to  this  stream 
the  emigrants  were  encamped  on  the  5th  of  September, 
almost  midway  between  two  ranges  of  low  hills  some  four 
hundred  yards  apart. 

It  was  Saturday  evening  when  the  trains  encamped  at 
Mountain  Meadows.  On  the  Sabbath  they  rested,  and  at 
the  usual  hour  one  of  them  conducted  divine  service  as 
had  been  their  custom  throughout  the  journey. 

At  dawn  on  the  following  morning  while  the  camp-fires 
were  being  lighted,  they  were  fired  upon  by  Indians, 
or  white  men  disguised  as  savages,  and  more  than  twenty 
were  killed  or  wounded,  their  cattle  having  been  driven 
off  by  the  assailants  who  had  crept  on  them  under  cover 
of  darkness.  The  men  now  ran  for  their  wagons,  pushed 
them  togetlier  so  as  to  form  a  corral,  and  dug  out  the 
earth  deep  enough  to  sink  them  to  the  hubs  ;  then  in  the 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS   MASSACRE  137 

centre  of  the  enclosure  they  made  a  rifle-pit  large  enough 
to  contain  the  entire  company.  Thereupon  the  attacking 
party,  which  numbered  from  three  to  four  hundred,  with- 
drew to  the  hills,  on  the  crest  of  which  they  built  parapets, 
whence  they  shot  down  all  who  showed  themselves  outside 
the  intrenchment. 

The  emigrants  were  now  in  a  state  of  siege,  and  had  lit- 
tle hope  of  escape  as  all  the  outlets  of  the  valley  were 
guarded.  Their  ammunition  was  almost  exhausted,  many 
of  their  number  were  wounded,  and  their  sufferings  from 
thirst  had  become  intolerable.  Down  in  the  ravine  and 
within  a  few  yards  of  the  corral  was  the  stream  of  water, 
but  only  after  sundown  could  any  of  the  precious  liquid 
be  obtained,  and  then  at  great  risk,  for  this  point  was 
covered  by  the  muskets  of  the  Indians,  who  lurked  all 
night  among  the  ravines  waiting  for  their  victims. 

On  the  morning  of  tlie  fifth  day  of  the  siege,  a  wagon 
was  seen  approaching,  accompanied  by  an  escort  of  Mor- 
mon soldiers.  When  near  the  intrenchment  the  company 
halted,  and  one  of  them,  William  Bateman  by  name,  was 
sent  forward  with  a  flag  of  truce.  In  answer  to  this  sig- 
nal a  little  girl,  dressed  in  white,  appeared  in  an  open 
space  between  the  wagons.  Half-way  between  the  Mor- 
mons and  the  corral,  Bateman  was  met  by  one  of  the  emi- 
grants named  Hamilton,  to  whom  he  promised  protection 
for  his  party  on  condition  that  their  arms  were  surrendered, 
assuring  him  that  they  would  be  conducted  safely  to  Cedar 
City.  After  a  brief  interview  each  returned  to  his  com- 
rades. 

It  was  arranged  that  John  D.  Lee  should  conclude  terms 
with  the  emigrants,  and  he  immediately  went  into  their 
camp.  Bidding  the  men  pile  their  arms  into  the  wagon, 
to  avoid  provoking  the  Indians,  he  placed  in  them  the 
wounded,  the  small  children,  and  a  little  clothing. 
While  thus  engaged,  a   man   rode   up  with  orders  from 


138  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Major  Higbee,  an  oflicer  of  the  ]\Ioriiioii  army,  to  hasten, 
as  the  Indians  threatened  to  renew  the  attack. 

The  emigrants  were  then  liurried  away,  the  men  and 
women  following  the  wagons,  the  latter  in  front.  All  were 
in  single  file,  and  on  each  side  of  them  the  militia  were 
drawn  up  two  deep,  with  twenty  paces  between  tlieir  lines. 
Within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  camp,  the  men  were 
halted  until  the  women  approached  a  copse  of  scrub-oak, 
about  a  mile  distant,  and  near  which,  it  appears,  the  Ind- 
ians were  in  ambush. 

The  men  now  resumed  their  march,  tlie  militia  forming 
in  single  file,  each  one  walking  by  the  side  of  an  emigrant, 
and  carrying  liis  musket  on  the  left  arm.  As  soon  as  the 
women  Avere  close  to  the  ambuscade,  Higbee,  Avho  was  in 
charge  of  the  detachment,  gave  a  signal,  which  had  evi- 
dently been  prearranged,  by  saying  to  his  command,  "  Do 
your  duty  " ;  and  the  horrible  butchery  commenced.  INIost 
of  the  men  were  shot  down  at  the  first  fire.  Three  only 
escaped  from  the  valley  ;  of  these,  two  were  quickly  run 
down  and  slaughtered  ;  the  third  was  slain  at  Muddy 
Creek,  some  fifty  miles  distant. 

The  women  and  those  of  the  children  who  were  on  foot 
ran  forward  some  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  when  they 
were  overtaken  by  Indians,  among  whom  were  some 
Mormons  in  disguise.  The  women  fell  on  their  knees, 
and  with  clasped  hands  sued  in  vain  for  mercy,  clutching 
the  garments  of  their  murderers.  Children  pleaded  for 
life,  but  the  steadj^  gaze  of  innocent  childhood  was  met 
by  the  demoniac  grin  of  the  savages,  who  brandished  over 
them  uplifted  knives  and  tomahawks.  Their  skulls  were 
battered  in,  or  their  throats  cut  from  ear  to  ear,  and,  while 
still  alive,  the  scalp  was  torn  from  their  heads.  Some  of 
the  little  ones  met  with  a  more  merciful  deatli,  one,  an 
infant  in  arms,  being  shot  through  the  head  by  the  same 
bullet  that    pierced  its  father's  heart.      Of   the   women 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS    MASSACRE  139 

none  were  spared,  and  of  the  children  only  those  who  were 
not  more  than  seven  years  of  age. 

To  two  of  Lee's  wagoners  was  assigned  the  duty,  so 
called,  of  slaughtering  the  sick  and  wounded.  Obeying 
their  instructions,  they  stopped  their  teams  and  de- 
spatched their  unfortunate  victims.  Some  were  shot; 
others  had  their  throats  cut. 

The  massacre  was  now  completed,  and  after  stripping 
the  bodies  of  all  articles  of  value.  Brother  Lee  and  his 
associates  went  to  breakfast,  returning  after  a  hearty  meal 
to  bury  their  dead. 

It  was  a  ghastly  sight  that  met  their  eyes  on  their 
return,  and  one  that  caused  even  the  assassins  to  shudder 
and  turn  pale.  The  bodies  had  been  entirely  denuded  by 
the  Indians.  Some  of  the  corpses  were  horribl}^  mangled 
and  nearly  all  of  them  scalped.  The  dead  were  piled  in 
heaps  in  a  ravine  near  by  and  a  little  earth  thrown  over 
them.  This  was  waslied  off  by  the  first  rains,  leaving  the 
remains  to  be  devoured  by  wolves  and  coyotes. 

It  was  not  until  two  years  after  the  massacre  that  they 
were  decently  interred,  by  a  detachment  of  United  States 
troops  sent  for  that  purpose  from  Camp  Floyd. 

On  arriving  at  Mountain  Meadows,  the  soldiers  found 
skulls  and  bones  scattered  for  the  space  of  a  mile  around 
the  ravine,  where  they  had  been  dragged  by  the  wolves. 
Nearly  all  of  the  bodies  had  been  gnawed  by  those  ghouls 
of  the  desert,  so  that  few  could  be  recognized,  as  their  dis- 
membered skeletons  were  bleached  by  the  sun.  Many  of 
the  skulls  had  been  crushed  by  the  butts  of  muskets,  or 
cloven  with  tomahawks;  others  were  shattered  by  fire- 
arms discharged  close  to  the  head. 

A  few  remnants  of  apparel,  torn  from  the  backs  of 
women  and  children  as  they  ran  from  their  merciless  pur- 
suers, still  fluttered  among  the  bushes,  and  near  by  were 
masses  of  human  hair,  matted  and  trodden  in  the  earth. 


140  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Over  the  last  resting-place  of  the  victims  was  erected 
a  cone-shaped  cairn,  twelve  feet  high.  Against  its  north- 
ern base  was  a  slab  of  rough  granite  with  the  following 
inscription:  ''Here  120  men,  women,  and  children  were 
massacred  in  cold  blood,  early  in  September,  1857.  They 
were  from  Arkansas."  Surmounting  the  cairn  was  a  cross 
of  cedar,  inscribed  with  the  words:  "Vengeance  is  mine;  I 
will  repay,  saith  the  Lord." 

The  survivors  of  the  awful  slaugliter  were  seventeen 
children,  from  two  months  to  seven  years  of  age,  who 
were  carried,  on  the  evening  of  the  massacre,  by  John  D. 
Lee  and  others  to  the  house  of  Jacob  Hamblin,  and  after- 
ward placed  in  charge  of  Mormon  families  at  various 
points  in  the  territory.  All  of  them  were  recovered  in 
the  summer  of  1858,  with  the  exception  of  one,  who  was 
rescued  a  few  months  later,  and  though  thinly  clad,  they 
bore  no  marks  of  ill-usage.  In  1859  they  were  conveyed 
to  Arkansas,  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  having 
appropriated  ten  thousand  dollars  for  their  rescue  and 
restoration  to  relatives. 

Those  concerned  in  the  massacre  had  pledged  them- 
selves by  the  most  solemn  oaths  to  stand  by  each  other, 
and  ever  to  insist  that  the  deed  was  done  entirely  by 
Indians.  For  several  months  this  was  the  accepted  theory, 
but  when  it  became  known  that  some  of  the  children  had 
been  spared,  suspicion  at  once  pointed  elsewhere,  for 
among  all  the  murders  committed  by  the  Utes,  there  was 
not  a  single  instance  of  their  having  shown  any  such 
mercy.  Moreover,  it  was  ascertained  that  an  armed  party 
of  Mormons  had  left  Cedar  City,  and  had  returned  with 
spoil,  and  that  the  savages  complained  of  having  been  un- 
fairly treated  in  the  division  of  the  booty. 

It  is  claimed  that  when  John  D.  Lee  discovered  that 
the  United  States  authorities  suspected  him  as  being  the 
principal  actor  in  the  awful  tragedy,  he  left  the  valley  of 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS   MASSACRE  141 

the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  hid  himself  in  one  of  the  caiions 
of  the  Colorado,^  where  he  remained  for  years  suffering 
that  terrible  anxiety  which  comes  to  all  fugitives  from 
justice,  sooner  or  later,  and  which  is  said  by  those  who 
have  experienced  it  to  be  absolutely  unbearable. 

In  1874,  under  the  provisions  of  what  is  legally  known 
as  the  "  Poland  Bill,"  whereby  the  better  administration  of 
justice  was  subserved,  the  Grand  Jury  was  instructed  to 
investigate  the  Mountain  Meadows  Massacre,  and  find  bills 
of  indictment  against  John  D.  Lee,  William  H.  Dame, 
Isaac  C.  Haight,  and  others.  Warrants  Avere  issued  for 
their  arrest,  and  after  a  vigorous  search  Lee  and  Dame 
were  captured,  Lee  having  been  discovered  in  a  hog-pen 
at  a  small  settlement  on  the  Sevier  River. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  1875,  the  trial  was  begun,  at 
Beaver  City,  in  Southern  Utah.  Mucli  delay  ensued, 
however,  by  the  absence  of  witnesses,  and  by  the  fact  that 
Lee  had  promised  to  make  a  full  confession,  and  turn 
state's  evidence.  His  statement  was  not  accepted  by  the 
court,  and  the  case  was  brought  to  trial  on  the  23d  of 
July,  with  the  expected  result,  that  the  jury,  eight  of 
whom  were  Mormons,  failed  to  agree. 

Lee  was  then  tried  a  second  time,  and  it  was  proved 
that  the  ]\Iormon  Church  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 
massacre  ;  that  Lee,  in  fact,  had  acted  in  direct  opposition 

1  He  took  refuge  in  the  Grand  Caiion  of  the  Colorado  River  ;  his  hiding- 
place  was  three  miles  from  any  possible  pass,  and  he  kept  a  faithful  ad- 
herent constantly  on  guard.  When  any  one  was  seen  approaching  the 
pass,  Lee  was  immediately  signalled  and  forthwith  repaired  to  a  cave, 
where  he  remained  until  it  was  discovered  whether  the  intruder  was 
friend  or  foe.  If  not  a  friend,  he  kept  to  his  cave  until  the  party  had 
left,  then  returned  to  his  house.  Lee  followed  this  life  for  five  or  six 
years,  vantil  he  became  so  weary  of  dodging,  and  running  from  supposed 
enemies,  that  he  finally  returned  to  Salt  Lake  City.  I  saw  his  cave  and 
house  some  years  ago  when,  in  company  with  General  N.  A.  Miles  and 
others,  I  made  a  pleasure  trip  to  the  Grand  Caiion.  —  W.  F.  Cody. 


142  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

to  the  officers  of  the  Church.  It  was  shown  that  he  was 
a  villain  and  a  murderer  of  the  deepest  dye  ;  that  with 
his  own  hands,  after  inducing  the  emigrants  to  surrender 
and  give  up  their  arms,  he  had  shot  two  women  and 
brained  a  third  with  the  butt-end  of  his  musket,  and  had 
cut  the  throat  of  a  wounded  man  whom  he  had  dragged 
from  one  of  the  wagons ;  that  he  had  gathered  the  prop- 
erty of  the  emigrants  and  disposed  of  it  for  his  own 
benefit.  It  was  further  proved  that  Lee  shot  two  or 
three  of  the  wounded,  and  that  when  two  girls,  who  had 
been  hiding  in  the  brush,  were  brought  into  his  presence 
by  an  Indian  after  the  massacre,  the  latter  asked  what 
was  to  be  done  with  them,  to  which  Lee  replied,  "  They 
are  too  old  to  be  spared."  "They  are  too  pretty  to  be 
killed,"  answered  the  chief.  "  Such  are  my  orders,"  said 
Lee,  whereupon  the  Indian  shot  one,  and  Lee,  dragging 
the  other  to  the  ground,  cut  her  throat. 

Lee  was  convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  degree,  and, 
having  been  allowed  to  select  his  own  method  of  exe- 
cution, was  sentenced  to  be  shot.  The  case  was  appealed 
to  the  supreme  court  of  the  territory,  but  the  judgment 
was  sustained,  and  it  was  ordered  that  the  sentence  be 
carried  into  effect  on  the  23d  of  March,  1877.  The 
others  who  had  been  tried  were  discharged  from  custody. 

A  short  time  before  his  execution  Lee  made  a  con- 
fession in  which  he  attempted  to  palliate  his  guilt  by 
throwing  the  burden  of  the  crime  on  his  accomplices, 
especially  on  Haight  and  Higbee,  and  to  show  that  the 
massacre  was  committed  by  order  of  Brigham  Young  and 
the  High  Council,  all  of  which  was  absolutely  false. 

On  the  13th  of  March  he  wrote  :  "  I  feel  as  composed 
and  as  calm  as  a  summer  morning.  I  hope  to  meet  my 
fate  with  manly  courage.  I  declare  my  innocence.  I 
have  done  nothing  designedly  wrong  in  that  unfortunate 
and  lamentable  affair  with  which  I  have  been  implicated. 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS   MASSACRE  143 

I  used  my  utmost  endeavours  to  save  them  from  their  sad 
fate.  I  freely  would  have  given  worlds,  were  they  at  my 
command,  to  have  averted  that  evil.  Death  to  me  has  no 
terror.  It  is  but  a  struggle,  and  all  is  over.  I  know 
that  I  have  a  reward  in  heaven,  and  my  conscience  does 
not  accuse  me." 

Ten  days  later  he  was  led  to  execution  at  the  Moun- 
tain Meadows.  Over  that  spot  the  curse  of  the  Almighty 
seemed  to  have  fallen.  The  luxuriant  herbage  that  had 
clothed  it  twenty  years  before  had  disappeared ;  the 
springs  were  dry  and  wasted,  and  now  there  was  neither 
grass  nor  any  green  thing,  save  here  and  there  a  copse  of 
saofe-brush  or  scrub-oak,  that  served  but  to  make  its 
desolation  still  more  desolate.  It  is  said  that  the  phan- 
toms of  the  murdered  emigrants  still  flit  around  the  cairn 
that  marks  their  grave,  and  nightly  reenact  in  ghastly 
pantomime  the  scene  of  this  hideous  tragedy. 

About  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  23d  a  part}'^  of 
armed  men,  alighting  from  their  wagons,  approached  the 
site  of  the  massacre.  Among  them  were  the  United 
States  marshal,  William  Nelson,  the  district  attorney,  a 
military  guard,  and  a  score  of  private  citizens.  In  their 
midst  was  John  Doyle  Lee.  Blankets  were  placed  over 
the  wheels  of  one  of  the  wagons,  to  serve  as  a  screen  for 
the  firing  party.  Some  rough  boards  were  then  nailed 
together  in  the  shape  of  a  coffin,  which  was  placed  near 
the  edge  of  the  cairn,  and  upon  it  Lee  took  his  seat  until 
the  preparations  were  completed.  The  marshal  now  read 
the  order  of  the  court,  and,  turning  to  the  prisoner,  said, 
"  Mr.  Lee,  if  you  have  anything  to  say  before  the  order  of 
the  court  is  carried  into  effect  you  can  do  so  now." 

Rising  from  his  coffin,  he  looked  calmly  around  for  a 
moment,  and  then  with  unfaltering  voice  repeated  the 
statements  already  quoted  from  his  confession.  "  I  have 
but  little  to  say  this  morning,"  he  added.     "  It  seems  I 


144  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

have  to  be  made  a  victim  ;  a  victim  must  be  had,  and  1 
am  the  victim.  I  studied  to  make  Brigham  Young's  will 
my  pleasure  for  thirty  years.  See  now  what  I  have  come 
to  this  day  !  I  have  been  sacrificed  in  a  cowardly,  das- 
tardly manner.  I  cannot  help  it ;  it  is  my  last  word  ;  it 
is  so.  1  do  not  fear  death  ;  1  shall  never  go  to  a  worse 
place  than  I  am  now  in.  I  ask  the  Lord  my  God,  if  my 
labours  are  done,  to  receive  my  spirit." 

A  Methodist  clergyman,  who  acted  as  his  spiritual 
adviser,  then  knelt  by  his  side  and  offered  a  brief  prayer, 
to  which  he  listened  attentively.  After  shaking  hands 
with  those  around  him,  he  removed  a  part  of  his  cloth- 
ing, handing  his  hat  to  the  marshal,  who  bound  a  hand- 
kerchief over  his  eyes,  his  hands  being  free  at  his  own 
request.  Seating  himself  with  his  face  to  the  firing  party, 
and  with  hands  clasped  over  his  head,  he  exclaimed : 
"  Let  them  shoot  the  balls  through  my  heart.  Don't  let 
them  mangle  my  body." 

The  word  of  command  was  given,  the  report  of  the 
rifles  rang  forth  on  the  still  morning  air,  and  without  a 
groan  or  quiver  the  body  of  the  criminal  fell  back  life- 
less on  his  coffin. 

God  was  more  merciful  to  him  than  he  had  been  to  his 
victims. 1 

Once  one  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell's  trains,  upon 
arriving  at  the  Little  Blue  River  below  Kearney,  en  route 
to  Fort  Laramie,  had  a  little  skirmish  with  the  Sioux. 
One  of  the  party,  who  was  going  to  the  Fort  to  erect  a 
sawmill  for  the  government,^  tells  about  it  as  follows  :  — 

"  I  had  travelled  ahead  of  the  train  a  mile  or  more,  had 
gotten  off  my  mule,  laid  down  awhile,  and  I  believe  fell 
asleep.  On  awaking  I  saw  three  Lidians  coming  out  of 
the  brush  on  the  creek  bottom  ;  I  took  a  glance  at  them, 

^  See  Bancroft's  Pacific  States. 

2  Wa.sliin.i:;t()ii  !•".  Ilininan. 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS    MASSACRE 


145 


and  quietly  stood  where  I  was.  After  a  while  they  ap- 
proached me ;  I  mounted  my  mule  and  held  my  loaded 
shot-gun  before  me  across  the  saddle,  with  my  finger  on 
the  trigger.  Two  formed  themselves  in  front  of  me  and 
one  behind.  I  paid  no  special  attention  to  them,  but  they 
immediately  began  to  make  signs  in  relation  to  swapping 
their  horses  for  my  mule.  I  merely  pointed  to  the  U.  S. 
on  the  shoulder  of  the  animal,  indicating  that  it  was  not 
my  property.  They  quickly  saw  they  couldn't  scare  me, 
though  I  didn't  know  but  what  they  were  making  up 
their  minds  to  kill  me  ;  finally,  however,  without  any  fur- 
ther demonstration  they 
rode  off  one  at  a  time, 
and  left  me,  where  I 
remained  until  my  train 
came  up. 

"When  we  made  camp 
that  afternoon  a  good- 
sized  band  of  Cheyennes 
and  Arapahoes  gathered 
around  with  their  usual 
salutations  of  '  How  ? 
How  ?  '  I  suggested  to 
the  Avagon -master  to 
boil  some  old  coffee- 
grounds  after  we  had 
eaten  our  dinner,  and 
with  some  sugar  and 
crackers  or  something 
of  that  character,  give 

them  to  the  Indians,  which  was  done.  In  the  afternoon 
we  moved  out  on  the  road  toward  Kearney  and  ahead  of 
us  was  a  train  going  unloaded  to  the  same  place.  As 
we  strung  out  on  the  trail  I  noticed  that  the  chief  of 
the  band,  I  think  he  was  known  as  '  Hairy  Bear '  of  the 


146  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

Clieyeniies,  and  all  of  his  warriors  were  riding  along, 
one  opposite  nearly  every  driver.  I  told  the  wagon- 
master  that  he  had  better  stop  the  train  and  tell  the 
Indians  they  must  take  either  one  end  of  the  road  or  the 
other,  as  it  was  evident  they  were  getting  ready  for  a  row. 
Upon  discovering  that  we  were  '  up  to '  their  little  job, 
they  went  ahead. 

"  At  dark,  after  we  had  encamped  again,  the  assistant 
wasfon-master  of  the  train  in  front  came  to  us  and  told  of 
a  little  scrap  he  had  with  these  same  Indians.  One  of 
them  at  first  undertook  to  snatch  the  handkerchief  off  his 
neck ;  another  Indian  had  shot  two  or  three  arrows 
after  a  teamster,  then  they  rode  off. 

"Our  train  went  on  five  miles,  where  we  were  going  to 
camp,  when  a  messenger  was  sent  by  the  commanding 
officer  at  the  fort  suggesting  that  the  two  caravans  camp 
together,  which  we  did.  In  the  morning,  when  we 
started  out,  I  rode  ahead  on  my  mule  as  usual,  and  when 
I  had  gut  about  half-way  to  the  fort  I  saw  the  white 
shoulder-blade  of  a  buffalo  setting  up  on  end  about  fifty 
yards  from  the  road.  I  rode  out  and  picked  it  up  ;  it  was 
standing  on  end  with  a  little  wisp  of  grass  wrapped 
around  it  ;  on  the  face  of  it  were  three  men  painted  red. 
The  broad  end  of  the  blade  in  the  ground  was  marked 
out  like  a  fort,  with  little  black  spots,  meaning  tracks  of 
soldiers,  and  a  man  in  black  was  there  with  his  rifle 
drawn,  and  resting  across  one  of  the  red  men's  necks. 
Another  was  shot  below  the  shoulder-joint,  and  one  had 
his  arm  broken.  Painted  in  red,  right  up  toward  the 
joint,  was  a  wolf  trotting  from  it.  This  indicated  that  the 
Indians  had  had  a  fight ;  three  of  them  had  been  wounded, 
one  in  the  back,  one  in  the  neck,  and  one  had  his  arm 
broken.  There  were  also  three  spears,  the  points  of 
which  were  stuck  in  the  ground,  indicating  that  three 
Indians  were  dead  and  had  no  more  use  for  the  weapons. 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS    MASSACRE  147 

"  I  took  the  bone  to  the  fort  and  there  the  interpreter 
told  what  it  all  meant.  I  discovered  it  to  be  a  valuable  his- 
tory of  what  was  going  on  :  the  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes 
who  had  been  with  us  had  separated  ;  the  Arapahoes  had 
gone  away  and  tried  to  steal  some  ponies  ;  they  would  be 
along  pretty  soon.  All  this  occurred  after  the  Arapahoes 
had  separated  from  the  Cheyennes.  The  latter  had  placed 
the  shoulder-blade  of  the  buffalo  on  the  trail,  to  prevent 
their  making  the  mistake  of  going  to  the  fort,  where, 
after  their  trouble  with  the  train,  the  soldiers  would 
make  it  hot  for  them;  but  as  I  had  found  their  message 
first,  their  plan  was  frustrated. 

"•  Later  on  the  Indians  came  to  the  fort,  and  one  of  the 
teamsters  who  had  been  wounded  happened  to  be  there, 
and  he  picked  out  the  very  Indian  who  had  shot  him. 
The  commanding  officer  directed  the  sergeant  of  the 
guard  to  arrest  the  savage,  which  he  did,  and  proceeded 
to  put  him  in  irons.  While  fastening  on  a  ball  and 
chain,  the  Indian  struck  the  soldier  on  the  head  who  was 
holding  him.  Upon  this  the  commanding  officer  told  one 
of  the  guards  to  shoot  him,  which  the  man  did  very 
promptly.  The  bullet  went  clear  through  the  Indian, 
and  shot  one  of  the  interpreter's  fingers  off.  After  this 
little  incident,  there  was  a  general  free-for-all  fight,  in 
which  the  Indians  were  badly  worsted.  After  this  battle 
the  Indians  went  south  and  were  not  troublesome  for 
some  time." 

When  the  snow  began  to  melt  from  the  mountain  peaks 
in  the  spring  the  little  insignificant  creeks  swelled  up  and 
for  a  few  weeks  were  transformed  into  raging  torrents, 
too  deep  or  too  dangerous  to  ford.  At  such  seasons  the 
few  ranchmen  who  were  in  the  country  built  temporary 
bridges  across  them,  hardly  ever  exceeding  fifty  feet  in 
length.  While  the  streams  were  high,  these  bridges 
were  a  veritable    gold-mine   from    tho    revenue   paid  by 


148  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

the  freighters  as  toll.  In  order,  however,  to  make  their 
toll  lawful,  every  bridge-owner  was  required  to  possess 
himself  of  a  charter  from  the  secretary  of  the  territory, 
and  approved  by  the  governor.  This  official  document 
simply  authorized  the  proprietor  to  charge  such  toll  as  he 
saw  fit,  which  was  always  extravagantly  high,  —  usually 
five  dollars  for  each  team  of  six  yoke  of  cattle  and 
wagon.  These  ranchmen  also  kept  an  assortment  of 
groceries  and  barrels  of  whiskey,  for  the  latter  of  which 
the  teamsters  were  always  liberal  customers. 

It  very  often  happened,  through  ignorance  of  the  law 
or  from  ignoring  it,  that  these  ranchmen  took  out  no 
charter,  because  its  possession  Avas  so  rarely  questioned. 

At  the  trail-crossing  of  Rock  Creek  was  one  of  these 
frontier  toll-bridges.  In  the  spring  of  1866  two  trains 
were  travelling  in  company,  one  in  charge  of  a  man 
known  as  Stuttering  Brown,  because  of  an  impediment 
in  his  speech.  He  was  a  man  of  undoubted  cour- 
age, and  determined.  When  angry,  he  indulged  in 
some  of  the  quaintest  and  wittiest  original  expressions 
imaginable  ;  but  if  you  laughed  at  him,  he  became  very 
much  offended,  as  he  was  particularly  sensitive  about  the 
impediment  of  his  speech.  Still,  he  was  a  man  who  ap- 
preciated a  joke,  and  enjoyed  it  even  if  it  was  upon 
himself. 

Brown's  train  comprised  twenty  teams,  and  the  other 
twenty-six.  His  train  happened  to  be  in  the  lead  that 
day,  and  as  they  neared  the  bridge,  Brown  rode  back  to 
the  other  wagon-master  and  said  :  — 

"  B-B-Billy,  wh-what  are  you  g-g-going  to  do  about 
p-p-paying  t-t-toU  on  this  b-b-bridge?" 

He  answered  that  if  the  fellow  had  a  charter,  he  would 
be  compelled  to  pay  ;  otherwise  he  would  not,  as  probably 
the  charges  were  exorbitant.  Brown  argued  they  might 
have  some  trouble  with  the  ranchman  if  pay  was  refused, 


MOUNTAIN    MEADOWS   MASSACRE  149 

as  thej  generally  had  a  pretty  tough  crowd  around  them 
who  were  ready  for  any  kind  of  a  skirmish. 

His  friend  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  together 
they  had  fifty-five  men,  well  armed  on  account  of 
probable  Indian  troubles.  They  were  all  good  fighters, 
and  they  would  ask  for  no  greater  fun  than  cleaning  out 
the  ranch,  if  it  was  discovered  that  the  proprietor  had 
no  charter. 

Brown  returned  to  the  bridge,  where  the  ranchman 
stood  preparing  to  collect  his  toll,  which  was  five  dollars 
a  team  in  advance.  This  would  require  one  hundred  dol- 
lars from  Brown  and  a  hundred  and  thirty  from  the  other 
train.  Brown  refused  point  blank  to  pay  the  bill,  and 
the  ranchman  asked  him  upon  what  grounds. 

Brown's  reply  was  :  — 

"  Y-Y-You  h-h-haint  g-g-got  no  ch-ch-charter."  The 
ranchman  answered  him  that  he  had,  and  if  he  would  go 
back  to  the  ranch  with  liim,  he  would  show  it.  The 
ranch  was  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away. 

Brown  accompanied  him,  and  in  a  short  time  returned 
to  the  train.  His  friend  asked  him  if  the  charter  was 
all  right,  to  which  Brown  replied  in  the  affirmative,  say- 
ing that  he  had  settled  for  his  outfit,  and  that  his  friend 
had  better  do  the  same,  which  he  accordingly  did. 

After  crossing  the  bridge,  the  other  wagon-master 
noticed  that  Brown  was  very  much  amused  about  some- 
thing, occasionally  indulging  in  loud  bursts  of  laughter. 
His  friend  inquired  the  cause  of  his  mirth,  but  he  refused 
to  tell. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  camping-ground  that  even- 
ing, and  after  corralling  the  trains  and  placing  out  the 
proper  guards,  Brown  invited  liis  friend  to  take  supper 
with  him.  While  eating  he  was  asked  what  had  so 
amused  him  during  the  afternoon.  He  said  that  when 
he  went  up  to  the  ranch  to  see  the   bridge    charter,  he 


150  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TIIAIL 

rode  to  the  door,  sat  on  liis  mule,  and  asked  the  ranchman 
to  trot  out  his  charter  and  be  d — d  quick  about  it. 

Tlie  man  went  into  a  back  room  and  pretty  soon  re- 
turned, shouting  :  — 

"  You  stuttering  thief,  here  it  is  !  What  do  you  tlunk 
about  it?" 

Brown  looked  up  and  found  that  he  was  peering  into 
the  muzzle  of  a  double-barrelled  gun,  probably  loaded 
with  buck-shot.  The  ranchman  was  pointing  it  directly 
at  his  head,  with  both  triggers  cocked.  Brown  saw  he 
was  in  earnest,  and  asked  if  that  was  the  charter.  The 
ranchman  replied  that  it  was. 

His  friend  then  asked,  "  What  did  you  do.  Brown  ?  " 

"N-N-Not  much.  J-J-Just  t-t-told  him,  th-th-that's 
good,  and  settled." 

Some  years  afterward,  wlien  Brown  was  part  owner  and 
superintendeiit  of  the  Black  Hills  stage-line,  he  was  way- 
laid and  killed  by  the  Indians,  while  on  a  return  trip 
from  Custer  City.  Thus  ended  the  career  of  one  of  the 
bravest  and  best  of  the  men  on  the  frontier. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  temporary  toll-ferries  was 
over  the  trail-crossing  of  Green  Riv^r.  It  was  owned  by 
Bill  Hickmaii,  a  Mormon,  and  as  the  river  was  seldom 
fordable  he  reaped  a  rich  harvest  of  gold  from  the  emi- 
grant trains.  His  prices  for  crossing  teams  depended 
upon  the  ability  of  their  owners  to  pay,  varying  from  five 
to  twenty  dollars  each.  Tlie  old  ford  may  still  be  seen 
just  below  the  station  of  Green  River  on  the  Union  Pa- 
cific Railroad. 

During  the  preparation  for  the  Mormon  war  the  supply- 
trains  of  the  government  were  constantly  harassed  by 
that  people.  The  genius  of  campaigning  by  destroying 
trains  was  Major  Lot  Smith.  One  evening,  at  the  head 
of  forty  men,  after  riding  all  niglit,  he  came  in  sight  of  a 
westward-bound  government  train.     On  coming  up  to  it 


MOUNTAIN    MEADOWS   MASSACRE  151 

he  ordered  the  drivers  to  turn  round  and  go  back  on  their 
trail.  Tliey  obeyed  promptly,  but  as  soon  as  Smith  was 
out  of  sight,  they  wheeled  around  and  travelled  west 
again.  During  the  day  a  party  of  Mormon  troops  passed 
them,  and  taking  all  of  the  freight  out  of  the  wagons,  left 
them  standing  there. 

Smith  was  afterward  informed  by  his  scouts  that  a  cara- 
van of  twenty-six  wagons  was  approaching.  Upon  this 
information  he  halted  his  men  and,  after  eating,  started 
again  at  dusk,  approached  the  train  while  it  was  in  camp 
at  a  place  near  Simpson's  Hollow,  and  ambushed  his 
party  for  several  hours.  Meanwhile,  he  learned  that 
there  were  two  trains,  each  of  twenty-six  wagons;  but  in 
fact  as  was  afterward  discovered  there  were  really  three 
of  seventy-five  wagons  in  all. 

About  midnight,  while  only  a  few  of  the  teamsters 
were  gathered  around  their  camp-fire,  some  of  them 
drinking,  some  smoking,  they  suddenl}'-  saw  what  seemed 
to  be  an  endless  procession  of  armed  and  mounted  men 
emerge  from  the  darkness. 

Smith,  quietly  coming  up,  asked  for  the  captain  of  the 
outfit,  whose  name  was  Dawson.  As  a  majority  of  the 
teamsters  were  asleep,  their  guns  fastened  to  the  covers 
of  the  wagons,  and  any  resistance  almost  ho23eless,  Daw- 
son stepped  forward,  surrendered,  and  told  his  men  to 
stack  their  arms  and  group  themselves  on  a  spot  desig- 
nated by  Smith.  Smith  dealt  successively  with  the  other 
trains  in  like  manner.  Then,  after  lighting  two  torches, 
he  handed  one  of  them  to  a  Gentile  in  his  party,  known 
as  Big  James,  remarking  at  the  same  time,  "  It  is  emi- 
nently proper  for  a  Gentile  to  spoil  a  Gentile." 

Riding  from  wagon  to  wagon.  Smith's  men  set  fire  to 
the  covers,  which  rapidly  caught  in  the  crisp  mountain 
air,  and  were  soon  all  ablaze.  Dawson,  meanwhile,  was 
ordered  by  Smith  to  the  rear  of  the  trains  to  take  out 


152  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

provisions  for  his  captors,  and  when  everything  was  fairly 
burning  he  and  his  party  rode  away,  first  informing  his 
panic-stricken  captives  that  he  would  return  as  soon  as 
he  had  delivered  the  provisions  to  his  comrades  near  by, 
and  instantly  shoot  any  one  who  should  make  any  attempt 
to  extinguish  the  flames. 

The  destruction  of  these  supply-trains  was  a  severe 
blow  to  the  army  of  occupation  ;  both  troops  and  animals 
suffered  severely  in  consequence  of  the  loss  of  provisions. 

The  year  1865  was  fruitful  of  Indian  depredations 
along  the  Old  Trail,  particularly  that  portion  which  ran 
through  the  Platte  Valley.  The  Sioux  and  Cheyennes 
allied  themselves  in  large  bands  against  the  whites,  and 
raided  the  beautiful  region  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
Theirs  was  a  trail  of  blood  like  that  of  Attila,  "  The 
Scourge,"  and  their  fiendish  acts  rivalled  those  of  that 
monster  of  the  Old  World. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Platte  River,  about  a  hundred 
and  twenty-five  miles  from  Denver,  were  located,  succes- 
sively, three  ranches,  known  as  the  Wisconsin,  the  Ameri- 
can, and  Godfrey's. 

On  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  January,  of  the  year  above 
mentioned,  a  company  of  cavalry,  marching  from  Denver, 
passed  along  by  the  Wisconsin  Ranch  a  little  before  nine 
o'clock.  As  tlie  Indians  were  on  the  war-jiath,  and  upon 
request  of  the  proprietor,  the  captain  of  the  compau}^ 
promised  to  send  back  ten  men  of  his  troop,  to  help  defend 
the  property,  as  they  were  going  to  their  station  a  few 
miles  east  of  there. 

The  cavalry  had  hardly  disappeared  from  view  across 
the  divide  when  the  savages  began  their  attack.  Tlie 
captain  of  the  cavalry,  heaiing  the  continuous  firing,  im- 
mediately returned  with  his  command,  and  at  once  a  fierce 
battle  took  place  a  short  distance  from  the  ranch.  The 
troops  retreated  and  went  into  camp  at  Valley  Station. 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS   MASSACRE  153 

There  were  seven  white  persons  living  on  the  ranch 
at  that  time:  Mr.  Mark  M.  Coad,  P.  B.  Danielson,  his 
wife  and  two  children,  besides  two  hired  men.  They 
fonglit  the  Indians  nntil  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
without  any  outside  assistance,  and  had  killed  several. 
About  noon  the  savages  set  fire  to  the  haystack  and  stable, 
which  caused  a  dense  smoke  to  settle  over  the  house  in 
which  the  besieged  were  sheltered. 

As  the  fight  progressed,  the  Indians  seemed  determined 
to  have  the  building  at  any  hazard;  so  they  cut  a  large 
amount  of  wood  and  piled  it  against  the  back  door,  with 
the  intention  of  burning  it  down  so  as  to  gain  an  entrance. 
The  door  was  blockaded  with  sacks  of  grain,  to  prevent 
the  bullets  from  coming  into  the  room,  and  while  the 
savages  were  placing  the  wood  on  the  outside,  the  men 
quietly  removed  the  sacks  of  grain.  When  the  besiegers 
were  ready  to  kindle  the  fire,  the  door  was  swung  open, 
and  Mr.  Coad,  springing  to  the  opening  as  it  swung  back, 
killed  three  of  the  Indians,  and  wounded  several  more  with 
his  two  pistols,  then  jumped  back  and  the  door  was  closed. 

The  daring  act  was  performed  so  quickly  that  the 
savages  were  instantly  demoralized.  They  dared  not 
return  the  shots  for  fear  of  killing  some  of  their  own 
party  who  were  attempting  to  enter  the  house. 

After  the  door  was  again  closed  the  Indians  regained 
their  senses,  and  a  perfect  shower  of  bullets  rained  against 
the  house.  The  savages,  now  discouraged  from  the  sud- 
denness and  effect  of  ]Mr.  Goad's  attack,  and  the  loss  of 
so  many  of  their  number,  retreated  to  their  camp  and 
hostilities  ceased  for  the  time. 

While  this  battle  was  in  progress  at  the  Wisconsin 
ranch,  another  fight  was  going  on  at  the  American 
ranch,  twelve  miles  east.  This  ranch  was  occupied  by 
the  Messrs.  Morrissey,  one  of  whom  had  his  wife,  two 
children,  and  six  or  eight  hired  men. 


154  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

It  was  subsequentl}'  shown  that  the  men  must  have 
fought  veiy  desperately,  as  they  were  found  locked  arm 
in  arm  with  the  savages,  holding  their  pistols  or  knives  in 
their  hands.  The  ranch  Avas  looted  of  its  valuables  and 
burned.  The  whites  were  all  killed,  excepting  Mrs. 
Morrissey  and  her  two  children,  Avho  were  taken  prisoners 
and  carried  off  by  the  Indians,  but  shortly  afterward  were 
surrendered  to  the  government.  Early  in  the  morning  of 
the  same  day  the  Indians  attacked  the  Godfrey  ranch. 
There  w^ere  living  there  Mr.  Godfre}',  better  known  as 
Old  Ricket;  his  wife;  his  daughter,  a  girl  of  fourteen 
years;  and  two  other  white  men. 

They  fought  the  savages  for  several  hours,  and  finally, 
seeing  that  they  stood  no  chance  of  capturing  the  place, 
the  Indians  determined  to  burn  it;  so  they  set  fire  to  the 
haystack  which  stood  near  the  building.  After  the  Ind- 
ians had  lighted  the  stack,  Mr.  Godfrey's  little  daughter 
rushed  out  of  the  door  with  a  bucket  of  water,  extin- 
guished the  flames,  and  returned  safely  into  the  house,  not- 
withstanding the  shower  of  bullets  and  arrow^s  that  rained 
all  around  her. 

The  Indians  just  then,  somehow  learning  that  the 
American  ranch  had  been  taken,  and  there  was  a  chance 
for  them  in  the  division  of  the  spoils,  withdrew  all  their 
force  and  went  down  there. 

From  there  they  went  on  to  the  AVisconsin  ranch, 
which  had  not  been  captured,  for  the  purpose  of  reenfor- 
cing  the  besieging  party  at  that  place.  The  besieged  had 
succeeded  in  sending  a  messenger  during  the  day  to  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  troops  at  Valley  Station,  asking 
for  assistance  to  enable  them  to  get  away  from  the  ranch, 
well  knowing  that  the  savages  would  return  in  the  morn- 
ing with  reenforcements.  The  captain  sent  up  a  detach- 
ment of  fifteen  men,  and  escorted  the  people  of  the  ranch 
down  to  the  Station.     The  next  morning  Mr.  Coad,  with 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOWS   MASSACRE  155 

a  detachment  of  troops  as  escort,  and  several  wagons, 
started  for  the  purpose  of  taking  away  the  goods  to  a 
phice  of  safety.  When  approaching  the  ranch  they 
found  it  in  the  possession  of  the  Indians  ;  and  the  troops, 
seeing  the  strength  of  the  savage  force,  knew  that  it  would 
be  worse  than  useless  to  attempt  to  drive  them  away ;  so 
they  returned  to  the  Station.  Thus  three  of  the  finest 
ranches  on  the  trail  at  that  time  were  destroyed. 

One  of  the  most  disastrous  and  effectual  raids  by  the 
savages  during  the  year  1865  was  the  burning  and  sack- 
ing of  Julesburg,  which  was  within  rifle-shot  of  Fort  Sedg- 
wick, on  the  South  Platte  River,  in  what  is  now  Weld 
County,  Colorado. 

There  the  government  established  a  military  reserva- 
tion, comprising  sixty-four  square  miles,  in  the  exact 
centre  of  which  the  fort  was  located.  Tlie  reservation 
extended  across  the  river,  and  included  the  mouth  of  Pole 
Creek,  a  small  tributary  of  the  Platte,  which  debouches 
into  it  from  the  north. 

The  original  Julesburg,  at  that  time,^  was  a  mere  ham- 
let of  crude  frame  buildings,  and  but  for  the  proximity  of 
Fort  Sedgwick  it  would  have  been  destroyed  long  before 
it  was. 

On  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  February,  the  men  at  the 
stage  station,  called  Julesburg,  discovered  a  small  band  of 
Indians  in  the  valley  to  the  east  of  them,  who  were 
evidently  out  on  the  war-path,  as  they  had  all  their  para- 
phernalia on,  were  finely  mounted,  hideously  painted,  and 
profusely  decorated  with  feathers.  Possessing  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  savage  character  and  rightly  conceiving 
the  intention  of  the  savages,  the  station  employees  incon- 

1  The  present  Julesburg,  until  a  few  years  ago,  was  called  "Denver 
Junction"  ;  the  old  town  was  situated  a  mile  west  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  the  Julesburg  of  18G7  was  five  miles  farther  west,  north  of 
the  Platte,  and  is  now  known  as  Weir. 


156  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

tinently  left  for  the  fort  for  safety,  and  to  give  the  alarm 
of  the  presence  of  the  Indians. 

Captain  O'Brien,  who  was  in  command  of  Fort  Sedg- 
wick, had  already  had  some  experience  in  savage  warfare  ; 
and,  although  his  force  was  extremely  small,  immediately 
upon  receipt  of  the  intelligence  tliat  liostile  Indians  were 
in  the  vicinity  and  that  the  overland  stage  station  was  in 
danger,  he  sounded  boots  and  saddles.  Thirty-five  soldiers 
reenforced  by  volunteer  citizens  were  soon  on  the  trail  of 
the  savages,  led  by  the  gallant  caj)tain. 

The  government  scouts  had  that  morning  reported  that 
there  were  no  Indians  near,  and  consequently  no  ajjpre- 
liension  of  danger  entered  the  minds  of  either  soldier  or 
civilian  ;  little  did  they  surmise  that  just  out  of  sight 
over  the  divide  more  than  two  thousand  of  the  painted 
devils  were  hiding. 

The  small  band  of  savages  that  had  entered  the  valley, 
and  whicli  had  been  first  seen  by  the  station  men,  were 
pursued  for  some  distance,  when  they  separated  and  rode 
out  into  the  sand-hills.  At  almost  the  same  instant,  while 
the  soldiers  were  after  them,  swarms  of  savagfes  beo-an  to 
pour  into  the  valley  in  the  rear  of  the  troops,  about  a 
half  a  mile  west  of  them.  They  soon  massed  in  great 
numbers,  and  rapidly  closed  every  avenue  of  escape, 
riding  in  bands  and  giving  vent  to  the  most  horrid  war- 
whoops  and  unearthly  yells  as  they  saw  their  vantage. 

Captain  O'Brien  ordered  his  troopers  to  dismount,  and, 
enjoining  his  men  to  keep  cool,  to  make  every  shot  tell, 
turned  upon  the  Indians  and  opened  fire  where  they  were 
thickest.  There  ensued  one  of  the  most  sanguinary 
struggles,  considering  the  few  soldiers  engaged,  that  the 
plains  have  ever  witnessed. 

"  Load  and  fire  at  will "  was  the  order,  and  the  repeat- 
ing rifles  of  the  soldiers  made  awful  havoc  ;  the  slaughter 
immediately  in  front  of  the  white  men  was  indeed  terrible, 


MOUNTAIN   MEADOAYS   MASSACRE  157 

and  the  Indians,  demoralized  at  the  manner  in  which  their 
ranks  were  being  decimated,  hurriedly  fell  back.  This 
permitted  the  troops  to  make  considerable  advance  in  the 
direction  of  the  fort  before  they  again  halted. 

Pressed  on  each  flank  and  in  rear,  the  troops  were  com- 
pelled to  divert  their  fire  to  those  points,  but  when  the 
progress  of  the  savages  was  again  stayed,  they  once  more 
concentrated  their  shots  where  they  were  densely  massed 
in  front.  It  appeared  as  if  every  ball  found  its  victim. 
The  discharges  were  so  rapid,  and  the  aim  so  careful,  that 
the  Indians  had  to  give  way  before  it,  permitting  the 
soldiers  to  advance  once  more.  Thus  they  fought  step 
by  step,  with  great  loss,  but  brave  to  the  last  degree. 

It  was  a  fortunate  matter  that  the  savages  were  armed 
principally  with  bows  and  arrows,  there  being  ver}-  few 
rifles  among  them.  Had  it  been  otherwise,  had  the 
Indians  been  armed  with  repeating  rifles,  as  were  the 
whites,  it  is  probable  that  not  a  single  soldier  would 
have  been  left  to  tell  the  story.  The  Indians  filled  the 
air  witli  flights  of  arrows,  but  woe  to  the  Indian  who 
came  within  range  of  the  deadly  rifles  !  Many  shafts 
with  spent  force  fell  harmlessly  among  the  soldiers. 
Many  inflicted  slight  wounds,  and  some  were  fatal. 
Some  of  the  whites  were  killed  by  bullets,  some  by 
arrows. 

Reenforcements  from  the  fort  finally  opened  an  avenue 
of  escape  for  the  remaining  whites,  and  eighteen  of  the 
forty  men  who  went  out  in  the  morning  came  back ;  the 
rest  were  killed,  scalped,  and  mutilated  by  the  savages ! 
Their  bodies,  however,  were  recovered  and  buried  on  the 
side  of  the  bluff  just  south  of  the  fort,  and  headboards 
with  appropriate  inscriptions  mark  the  final  resting-place 
of  each. 

When  they  found  that  a  part  of  their  prey  would 
escape,   the    Indians    began    to   turn    their    attention    to 


158  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

pillaging  at  the  stage  station.  One  house  contained  a 
general  assortment  of  groceries  and  outfitting  goods. 
These  they  loaded  upon  their  ponies  and  carried  over 
the  river.  They  then  disappeared  among  the  hills,  leav- 
ing all  the  buildings  on  fire. 

Tlie  stage  company  had  a  large  amount  of  grain  and 
supplies  stored  at  the  station.  These  were  burned,  and  a 
treasure-coach  with  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  money  was 
captured. 

As  soon  as  Captain  O'Brien  reached  the  fort,  he  ordered 
out  the  field-pieces  and  commenced  shelling  the  enemy. 
Being  a  very  expert  gunner,  he  directed  the  fire  of  the 
guns  so  effectively  as  to  kill  a  large  number  of  savages. 
A  crowd  of  redskins  had  gathered  round  some  open  boxes 
of  raisins  and  barrels  of  sugar,  when  a  shell  burst  in  the 
midst  of  them,  killing  thirteen,  as  was  afterward  admitted 
by  some  of  the  Indians  present.  They  also  admitted  the 
loss  of  more  than  a  hundred  warriors  during  the  fight. 

In  January,  1867,  Mr.  J.  F.  Goad,  now  of  Omaha,  had 
a  contract  Avith  the  United  States  army  to  supply  all 
the  government  military  posts  between  Julesburg  and 
Laramie  with  wood.  He  left  home  about  the  ITtli  of  the 
month,  and  was  escorted  by  a  company  of  soldiers,  who 
were  en  route  to  Fort  Laramie,  as  far  as  forty  miles 
beyond  Julesburg,  where  he  left  them,  and  i^roceeded  up 
Pole  Creek,  thence  to  Lawrence's  Fork,  where  his  men 
and  wagons  were,  to  commence  work  on  his  contract. 

On  the  morning  after  his  arrival  at  his  wagon-camp, 
Mr.  Coad  and  three  of  his  employees,  while  loading  wood 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  camp,  were  attacked  by 
about  forty  Indians,  who  came  charging  down  the  valley 
and  prevented  their  retreat  to  the  ranch.  Seeing  that 
they  were  entirely  cut  off  and  without  any  hope  of  assist- 
ance, they  immediately  concluded  that  their  only  es- 
cape from  death  was  to  run  for  their  lives,  and  get  back 


•MOUMTAIN   MEADONVS   MASSACRE  159 

into  the  hills,  if  possible,  believing  that  on  account  of  the 
steep  and  ragged  trail  the  savages  could  not  pursue  tliem. 

It  was  fearfully  cold,  the  thermometer  ranging  about 
twenty-five  degrees  below  zero.  Just  as  they  started  to 
put  their  plan  in  motion,  another  band  of  Indians  was 
coming  up  the  valley.  These  joined  the  others,  and  bore 
down  on  the  white  men. 

On  arriving  at  the  base  of  the  hill  up  which  the  white 
men  were  climbing,  the  Indians  dismounted  and  started 
on  foot  after  them.  Seeing  their  tactics,  Mr.  Coad  and 
his  companions  took  off  all  their  superfluous  clothing  and 
threw  it  away,  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the  tem- 
perature. One  of  tlie  men,  in  passing  near  a  ledge  of 
rock,  discovered  a  hiding-place  under  it,  dropped  down 
and  crawled  in,  filling  his  tracks  with  dirt  as  he  backed 
into  the  cave.  The  Indians  in  trailing  the  party  passed 
by  this  rock,  returned  to  it,  and  held  a  council.  They 
then  went  back  to  their  horses.  The  other  white  men 
secreted  themselves  in  a  canon,  built  a  fire,  and  there 
remained  until  long  after  dark. 

Left  in  the  wagon-camp  were  three  other  men,  who  had 
a  hard  fight  with  the  Indians  from  about  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  morning  until  three  in  the  afternoon.  They  were 
inside  of  the  cabin,  and  managed  to  keep  the  savages  at  a 
safe  distance  by  firing  at  them  through  the  crevices  when- 
ever they  came  within  rifle-shot.  The  Indians  kept 
riding  in  a  circle  around  the  cabin  for  several  hours,  and, 
finding  they  could  not  dislodge  the  three  brave  men,  they 
abandoned  the  attempt,  after  losing  one  of  their  ponies, 
which  received  a  rifle-bullet  in  his  foreleg. 

Some  of  the  wood-choppers  who  had  been  at  work  a 
mile  and  a  half  up  the  valley  also  had  an  exciting  experi- 
ence during  the  day  with  tlie  savages,  but  came  out 
unharmed. 

After  the  entire  party  of  white  men  assembled  in  camp 


160  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

that  night,  a  council  was  held,  and  it  was  determined  to 
send  a  messenger  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  post 
at  Julesburg,  stating  the  condition  of  affairs  and  the 
number  of  Indians  supposed  to  be  in  the  vicinity. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Coad  and  his  men  gathered 
what  cattle  they  could  find,  intending  to  leave  for  the 
fort.  They  started,  got  on  top  of  the  divide,  and 
camped  for  the  night.  A  raging  blizzard  set  in,  one  of 
those  terrible  storms  of  snow  and  wind  characteristic  of 
the  region,  and  the  cattle  sought  shelter  from  the  fearful 
weather  by  returning  to  the  valley  which  the}^  had  left 
the  day  before,  and  where  there  was  plenty  of  timber. 
The  party  was  able,  however,  to  hold  a  few  head.  So  they 
hitched  them  up  to  the  mess-wagon  and  returned  to  their 
old  camp,  intending  to  wait  until  the  messenger  they  had 
sent  to  the  fort  should  arrive  with  troops;  but  they  were 
not  sure  he  had  gone  safely  through. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Coad  started  east  on  the  divide 
on  the  only  horse  the  Indians  had  left  him,  and  about  nine 
o'clock  that  night  he  met  Lieutenant  Arms,  of  the  Second 
Cavalry,  in  command  of  Company  E  of   that  regiment. 

Lieutenant  Arms  told  him  that  he  had  met  a  large 
war-party  of  savages  about  four  o'clock  that  afternoon, 
and  was  detained  fighting  them  until  after  dark,  when 
they  disappeared  and  went  south,  at  a  point  about  ten 
miles  west  of  Sidney.  Lieutenant  Arms  had  captured 
several  head  of  cattle  and  two  of  Mr.  Coad's  horses  from 
the  Indians  in  this  engagement. 

Mr.  Coad  returned  with  the  troops  to  the  camp  on 
Lawrence's  Fork,  arriving  there  at  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  The  temperature  that  night  was  thirty  degrees 
below  zero,  and  the  troops  suffered  terribly  from  the  ex- 
treme cold  during  their  march.  After  arriving  in  the  tim- 
ber and  getting  something  to  eat,  all  turned  in  in  their 
blankets  and  rested  until  daylight  the  next  morning.     As 


MOUNTAIN    MEADOWS   MASSACRE  161 

soon  as  breakfast  was  disposed  of,  the  command  started 
on  their  return  march,  crossed  the  divide  Avhich  they  had 
travelled  over  the  previous  night,  and  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  reached  Pole  Creek,  where  they  rested 
until  daylight.  As  soon  as  the  day  dawned  they  started 
south,  endeavouring  to  find  the  trail  of  the  Indians.  The 
weather  was  extremely  cold,  the  thermometer  ranging 
about  thirty  degrees  below  zero.  In  the  afternoon,  while 
on  the  divide,  the  snow  being  very  deep,  the  command 
was  completely  lost,  and  wandered  aimlessly  for  several 
hours,  not  knowing  which  course  to  take.  Finally,  when 
it  was  nearly  dark,  they  came  within  sight  of  Pole  Creek, 
immediately  recognized  the  locality,  and  Avere  saved. 

At  night,  after  travelling  all  the  next  day,  the}'  reached 
a  ranch  about  thirty-five  miles  west  of  Julesburg,  where 
they  stopped  and  were  made  comfortable.  It  was  dis- 
covered, after  the  command  had  thawed  out,  that  out  of 
thirty-six  men  thirty  were  more  or  less  frozen  ;  some  had 
frozen  noses,  some  their  ears,  some  their  toes,  and  two 
had  suffered  so  badly  their  feet  had  to  be  amputated.  On 
the  following  day  an  ambulance  arrived  from  Julesburg, 
to  briuQf  in  the  men  who  were  in  the  worst  condition. 
Those  who  were  able  mounted  their  horses  and  reached 
the  post  all  right. 

During  those  early  years,  before  the  growth  of  the 
great  states  beyond  the  Missouri,  a  mighty  stream  of  im- 
migration rushed  onward  to  the  unknown,  illimitable 
West.  Its  pathway  was  strewn  with  innumerable  graves 
of  men,  women,  and  little  children.  Silence  and  oblivion 
have  long  since  closed  over  them  forever,  and  no  one  can 
tell  the  sad  story  of  their  end,  or  even  where  they  la}^ 
down.  Occasionally,  however,  the  traveller  comes  across 
a  spot  where  some  of  these  brave  pioneers  succumbed  to 
death.  One  of  the  most  noted  of  these  may  be  seen 
about  two  miles  from  the   town   of   Gering,  on  the   Old 

M 


162 


THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 


Trail,  in  what  is  now  known  as  Scott's  Bluffs  County, 
Nebraska.  Around  the  lonely  grave  was  fixed  a  wagon- 
tire,  and  on  it  rudely  scratched  the  name  of  the  occupant 
of  the  isolated  sepulchre,  "  Rebecca  Winter,"  and  the 
date,  1852.  The  tire  remains  as  it  was  originally  placed, 
and,  as  if  to  immortalize  the  sad  fate  of  the  woman,  many 
localities  in  the  vicinity  derive  their  names  from  that  on 
the  rusty  old  wagon  tire  :  "  Winter  Springs,"  "  Winter 
Creek  Precinct,"  and  the  "Winter  Creek  Irrigation 
Company"  ! 


Juhburq  J66j 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE   PROBLEM  OF    THE  MAILS  BETWEEN  ATLASTTIC   AND  PACIFIC 

THE     WORLD-FAMED     POXY     EXPRESS NECESSITY     FOR     IT 

ITS     ORIGINATOR THE     FIRM     OF     MAJORS,     RUSSELL,     & 

WADDELL THE     ROUTE ORGANIZATION ITS     PARAPHER- 
NALIA  DARING   RIDERS J.  G.  KELLEY's    STORY COLONEL 

Cody's    story  —  incidents    and    stories  —  old    whipsaw 

AND  little  CAYUSE,   THE   PAWNEE SLADE,  THE   DESPERADO 

THE  LYNCHING   OF    SLADE ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  TELE- 
GRAPH 


5cnd1dr 
Qwinn 


WING  to  the    gold    dis- 
coveries   of    1849,    the 
state  of  California  was 
born  in  f^lmost  a  single 
day.     The  ocean  route 
to   the    Pacific  was    te- 
dious and  circuitous,  and 
the  impetuosity  of  the  min- 
ing   population    demanded 
quicker  time  for  the  delivery 
of  its  mails  than  was  taken  by 
the  long  sea-voyage.     From  the 
rminus  of  telegraphic  communi- 
ion  in  the  East  there  intervened 


more  than  two  thousand  miles  of  a  re- 
gion uninhabited,  except  by  hostile  tribes  of  savages. 
The  mail  from  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  across  the  Isthmus 
of  Darien  to  San  Francisco,  took  at  least  twenty-two 
days.  The  route  across  the  desert  by  stage  occupied 
nearly  a  month. 

163 


164  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

To  reduce  this  time  was  the  absorbing  thought  of  tlie 
hour.  Senator  Gwinn  of  California,  known  after  tlie 
Maximilian  escapade  in  Mexico  as  "Duke  Gwinn,"  first 
made  the  suggestion  to  the  proprietors  of  the  Overland 
Stage  Line  that  if  they  could  carry  the  mails  to  the  Pacific 
coast  in  a  shorter  time  than  it  then  required,  and  would 
keep  the  line  open  all  the  year,  increased  emigration  and 
the  building  of  a  railroad  by  the  government  would  be 
the  result.^ 

The  following  is  an  authentic  history  of  the  Pony 
Express,  as  related  to  the  authors  of  this  work  by  Colo- 
nel Alexander  Majors,  the  surviving  member  of  the  once 
great  firm  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell,  who  were  the 
orieinators  of  the  scheme. 

In  the  winter  of  1859,  while  the  senior  partner  of  the 
firm  was  in  Washington,  he  became  intimately  acquainted 
with  Senator  Gwann  of  California,  who,  as  stated  previously, 
was  very  anxious  that  a  quicker  line  for  the  transmission 
of  letters  should  be  established  than  that  already  worked 
by  Butterfield ;  the  latter  was  outrageously  circuitous. 

The  senator  was  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  the  firm 
of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell  were  operating  a  daily  coach 
from  the  Missouri  River  to  Salt  Lake  City,  and  he  urged 
Mr.  Russell  to  consider  seriously  the  propriety  of  starting 
a  pony  express  over  the  same  route,  and  from  Salt  Lake 
City  on  to  Sacramento. 

After  a  lengthy  consultation,  Mr.  Russell  consented  to 
attempt  the  thing,  provided  he  could  induce  his  partners 
to  take  the  same  view  of  the  proposed  enterprise  as  him- 
self, and  he  then  returned   to   Leavenworth,  the   head- 

1  Senator  Gwinn  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  and 
lost  his  wonderful  prestige  and  influence  in  California,  as  well  as  a  fort- 
une, in  his  fealty  to  his  native  state,  Mississippi.  In  1866  he  was  created 
Duke  of  Sonora  by  Maximilian,  in  the  furtherance  of  his  visionary 
.scheme  of  western  empire,  but  died  soon  afterwards. 


THE   PONY    EXPUESS  165 

quarters  of  the  firm,  to  consult  the  other  members.  On 
learning  the  proposition  suggested  by  Senator  Gwinn, 
both  Colonel  Majors  and  Mr.  Waddell  at  once  decided 
that  the  expense  would  be  much  greater  than  any  possible 
revenue  from  the  undertaking. 

Mr.  Russell,  having,  as  he  thought,  partially  at  least, 
committed  himself  to  the  Senator,  was  much  chagrined  at 
the  turn  the  affair  had  taken,  and  he  declared  that  he 
could  not  abandon  his  promise  to  Mr.  Gwinn,  consequently 
his  partners  must  stand  by  him. 

That  urgent  appeal  settled  the  question,  and  work  was 
commenced  to  start  the  Pony  Express. 

On  the  Overland  Stage  Line  operated  by  the  firm, 
stations  had  been  located  every  ten  or  twelve  miles,  which 
were  at  once  utilized  for  the  operation  of  the  express ;  but 
beyond  Salt  Lake  City  new  stations  must  be  constructed, 
as  there  were  no  possible  stopping-places  on  the  proposed 
new  route.  In  less  then  two  months  after  the  promise  of 
the  firm  had  been  pledged  to  Senator  Gwinn,  the  first  ex- 
press was  ready  to  leave  San  Francisco,  and  St.  Josej)h, 
Missouri,  simultaneously. 

The  fastest  time  ever  thus  far  made  on  the  "  Butterfield 
Route  "  was  twenty-one  days  between  San  Francisco  and 
New  York.  The  Pony  Express  curtailed  that  time  at  once 
by  eleven  days,  which  was  a  marvel  of  rapid  transit  at 
that  period. 

The  plant  necessary  to  meet  the  heavy  demand  made  on 
the  originators  of  the  fast  mail  route  over  the  barren 
plains  and  through  the  dangerous  mountains  was  nearly 
five  hundred  horses,  one  hundred  and  ninety  stations,  two 
hundred  men  to  take  care  of  these  stations,  and  eighty 
experienced  riders,  each  of  whom  was  to  make  an  average 
of  thirty-three  and  one-third  miles.  To  accomplish  this 
each  man  used  three  ponies  on  his  route,  but  in  cases  of 
great  emergency  much  longer  distances  were  made. 


166  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

The  letters  or  despatches  to  be  carried  by  the  daring 
men  were  required  to  be  written  on  the  tinest  tissue  paper, 
weighing  half  an  ounce,  five  dollars  being  the  charge  for 
its  transportation. 

As  suggested  by  two  members  of  the  firm,  when  they  pro- 
tested that  the  business  would  not  begin  to  meet  the  ex- 
penses, their  prophecies  proved  true  ;  but  the}'  were  not 
disappointed,  for  one  of  the  main  objects  of  the  institution 
of  the  express  was  to  learn  whether  the  line  through  which 
the  express  was  carried  could  be  made  a  permanent  one 
for  travel  during  all  the  seasons  of  the  year.  This  was 
determined  in  the  affirmative. 

One  of  the  most  important  transactions  of  the  Pony  Ex- 
press was  the  transmittal  of  President  Buchanan's  last 
message,  in  December,  1860,  from  the  Missouri  River  to 
Sacramento,  over  two  thousand  miles,  in  eight  days  and  a 
few  hours,  and  the  next  in  importance  was  the  carrying  of 
President  Lincoln's  message,  his  inaugural  of  March  4, 
1861,  over  the  same  route  in  seven  days  and  seventeen 
hours.  This  was  the  quickest  time  for  horseback  riding, 
considering  the  distance  made,  ever  accomplished  in  this 
or  any  other  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1860  Bolivar  Roberts,  superintendent 
of  the  western  division  of  the  Pony  Express,  came  to 
Carson  City,  Nevada,  to  engage  riders  and  station-agents 
for  the  Pony  Express  route  across  the  Great  Plains.  In 
a  few  days  fifty  or  sixty  were  engaged,  —  men  noted  for 
their  lithe,  wiry  physiques,  bravery  and  coolness  in  mo- 
ments of  great  personal  danger,  and  endurance  under  the 
most  trying  circumstances  of  fatigue.  Particularly  were 
these  requirements  necessary  in  those  who  were  to  ride 
over  the  lonely  route.  It  was  no  easy  duty;  horse  and 
human  flesh  were  strained  to  the  limit  of  physical  tension. 
Day  or  night,  in  sunshine  or  in  storm,  under  the  darkest 
skies,  in  the  pale  moonlight  and  with  only  the  stars  at 


THE   PONY    EXPKESS  167 

times  to  guide  him,  the  brave  rider  must  speed  on.  Rain, 
hail,  snow,  or  sleet,  there  was  no  delay;  his  precious  bur- 
den of  letters  demanded  his  best  efforts  under  the  stern 
necessities  of  the  hazardous  service;  it  brooked  no  de- 
tention; on  he  must  ride.  Sometimes  his  pathway  led 
across  level  prairies,  straight  as  the  flight  of  an  arrow. 
It  was  oftener  a  zigzag  trail  hugging  the  brink  of  awful 
precipices,  and  dark,  narrow  caiions  infested  with  watch- 
ful savages  eager  for  the  scalp  of  the  daring  man  who  had 
the  temerity  to  enter  their  mountain  fastnesses. 

At  the  stations  the  rider  must  be  ever  ready  for  emer- 
gencies; frequently  double  duty  was  assigned  him.  He 
whom  he  was  to  relieve  had  been  murdered  by  the  Indians 
perhaps,  or  so  badly  wounded,  that  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  take  his  tour;  then  the  already  tired  expressman 
must  take  his  place,  and  be  off  like  a  shot,  although  he 
had  been  in  the  saddle  for  hours. 

The  ponies  employed  in  the  service  were  splendid  speci- 
mens of  speed  and  endurance  ;  they  were  fed  and  housed 
with  the  greatest  care,  for  their  mettle  must  never  fail  the 
test  to  which  it  was  put.  Ten  miles  at  the  limit  of  the 
animal's  pace  was  exacted  from  him,  and  he  came  dashing 
into  the  station  flecked  with  foam,  nostrils  dilated  and 
every  hair  reeking  with  perspiration,  while  his  flanks 
thumped  at  every  breath! 

Nearly  two  thousand  miles  in  eight  days  must  be  made  ; 
there  was  no  idling  for  man  or  beast.  When  the  express 
rode  up  to  the  station,  both  rider  and  pony  were  always 
ready.  The  only  delay  was  a  second  or  two  as  the  saddle- 
pouch  with  its  precious  burden  was  thrown  on  and  the  rider 
leaped  into  his  place,  then  away  they  rushed  down  the 
trail  and  in  a  moment  were  out  of  sight. 

Two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  a  day  was  the  distance 
travelled  by  the  Pony  Express,  and  it  may  be  assured  the 
rider  carried  no  surplus  weight.     Neither  he  nor  his  pony 


168  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

were  handicapped  with  anything  that  was  not  absolutely 
necessary.  Even  his  case  of  precious  letters  made  a  bun- 
dle no  larger  tlian  an  ordinary  writing  tablet,  but  there 
was  five  dollars  paid  in  advance  for  every  letter  trans- 
ported across  the  continent.  Their  bulk  was  not  in  the 
least  commensurable  with  their  number,  there  were  hun- 
dreds of  them  sometimes,  for  they  were  written  on  the 
thinnest  tissue  paper  to  be  procured.  There  were  no  silly 
love  missives  among  them  nor  frivolous  correspondence 
of  any  kind  ;  business  letters  only,  that  demanded  the 
most  rapid  transit  possible  and  warranted  the  immense  ex- 
pense attending  their  journey,  found  their  way  by  the 
Pony  Express. 

The  mail-bags  were  two  pouches  of  leather  impervious 
to  rain,  sealed,  and  strapped  to  the  rider's  saddle  before 
and  behind.  The  pouches  were  never  to  contain  over 
twenty  pounds  in  Aveight.  Inside  the  pouches,  to  further 
protect  their  contents  from  the  weather,  the  letters  and 
despatches  were  wrajjped  in  oil-silk,  then  sealed.  The 
pockets  themselves  were  locked  and  were  not  opened  be- 
.tween  St.  Joseph  and  Sacramento. 

The  Pony  Express  as  a  means  of  communication  between 
the  two  remote  coasts  was  largely  employed  by  the  gov- 
ernment, merchants,  and  traders,  and  would  eventually 
have  been  a  paying  venture  had  not  the  construction  of 
the  telegraph  across  the  continent  usurped  its  usefulness. 

The  arms  of  the  Pony  Express  rider,  in  order  to  keep 
the  weight  at  a  minimum,  were,  as  a  rule,  limited  to  re- 
volver and  knife. 

The  first  trip  from  St.  Joseph  to  San  Francisco,  nine- 
teen hundred  and  sixty-six  miles,  was  made  in  ten  days  ; 
the  second  in  fourteen,  the  third  and  many  succeeding 
trips  in  nine.  The  riders  had  a  division  of  from  one  hun- 
dred to  one  hundred  and  forty  miles,  with  relays  of  horses 
at  distances  varying  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  miles. 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  169 

In  1860  the  Pony  Express  made  one  trip  from  St.  Jo- 
seph to  Denver,  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles,  in  two 
days  and  twenty-one  hours. 

The  Pony  Express  riders  received  from  one  hundred 
and  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  a 
month.  But  few  men  can  appreciate  the  danger  and  ex- 
citement to  which  those  daring  and  plucky  men  were  sub- 
jected ;  it  can  never  be  told  in  all  its  constant  variety. 
They  were  men  remarkable  for  their  lightness  of  weight 
and  energy.  Their  duty  demanded  the  most  consummate 
vigilance  and  agility.  Many  among  their  number  were 
skilful  guides,  scouts,  and  couriers,  and  had  passed  event- 
ful lives  on  the  Great  Plains  and  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
They  possessed  strong  wills  and  a  determination  that  noth- 
ing in  the  ordinary  event  could  balk.  Their  horses  were 
generally  half-breed  California  mustangs,  as  quick  and 
full  of  endurance  as  their  riders,  and  were  as  sure-footed 
and  fleet  as  a  mountain  goat ;  the  facility  and  pace  at 
which  they  travelled  was  a  marvel.  The  Pony  Express 
stations  were  scattered  over  a  wild,  desolate  stretch  of 
countr}^,  two  thousand  miles  long.  The  trail  was  infested 
with  "  road  agents,"  and  hostile  savages  who  roamed  in 
formidable  bands  ready  to  murder  and  scalp  with  as  little 
compunction  as  they  would  kill  a  buffalo. 

Some  portions  of  the  dangerous  route  had  to  be  covered 
at  the  astounding  pace  of  twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  as  the 
distance  between  stations  was  determined  by  the  physical 
character  of  the  region. 

The  day  of  the  first  start,  says  Colonel  Majors,  on  the  3d 
of  April,  1860,  at  noon,  Harry  Roff,  mounted  on  a  spirited 
half-breed  broncho,  left  Sacramento  on  his  perilous  ride, 
covering  the  first  twenty  miles,  including  one  change,  in 
fifty-nine  minutes.  On  reaching  Folsom  he  changed  again 
and  started  for  Placerville  at  the  foot  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains,  fifty-five  miles  distant.     There  he  connected 


170  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

with  "Boston,"  who  took  the  route  to  Friday's  Station, 
crossing  the  eastern  summit  of  tlie  Sierra  Nevada.  Sam 
Hamilton  next  fell  into  line  and  pursued  his  way  to  Genoa, 
Carson  City,  Dayton,  Reed's  Station,  and  Fort  Churchill, 
seventy-five  miles.  The  entire  run  was  made  in  fifteen 
hours  and -twenty  minutes,  the  whole  distance  being  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  miles,  which  included  the  cross- 
ing of  the  Avestern  suuunit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  through 
thirty  feet  of  snow  !  Here  Robert  Haslam  took  the  trail 
from  Fort  Churchill  to  Smith's  Creek,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  through  a  hostile  Indian  country.  From 
that  point  Jay  G.  Kelley  rode  from  Smith's  Creek  to 
Ruby  Valley,  Utah,  one  hundred  and  sixteen  miles.  From 
Ruby  Valley  to  Deep  Creek,  H,  Richardson,  one  hundred 
and  five  miles  ;  from  Deep  Creek  to  Rush  Valley,  old 
Camp  Floyd,  eighty  miles.  From  Camp  Floyd  to  Salt 
Lake  City,  fifty  miles,  the  end  of  the  western  division, 
was  ridden  by  Gcoigci  Thacher. 

On  the  same  day,  and  the  same  moment,  Mr.  Russell 
superintended  the  start  of  the  Pony  Express  from  its  east- 
ern terminus.  An  arrangement  had  been  made  with  the 
railroads  between  New  York  and  Saint  Joseph  for  a  fast 
train  wdiicli  was  scheduled  to  arrive  with  the  mail  at  the 
proper  time.  The  Hannibal  and  St.  Joseph  Railroad  also 
ran  a  special  engine,  and  the  boat  which  made  the  cross- 
ing of  the  Missouri  River  was  detained  for  the  purpose  of 
instantly  transferring  the  letters.  Mr.  Russell  in  person 
adjusted  the  letter-pouch  on  the  pony.  jMany  of  the  en- 
thusiastic crowd  who  had  congregated  to  witness  the 
inauguration  of  the  fast  mail  plucked  hairs  from  the 
hardy  little  animal's  tail  as  talismans  of  good  luck.  In  a 
few  seconds  the  rider  was  mounted,  the  steamboat  gave 
an  encouraging  whistle,  and  the  pony  dashed  away  on  his 
long  journey  to  the  next  station. 

The  large  newspapers  of  l)oth  New  York  and  the  Pacific 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  171 

coast  were  ready  patronizers  of  the  express.  The  issues 
of  their  papers  were  printed  on  tissue  manufactured  pur- 
posely for  this  novel  way  of  transmitting  the  news.  On 
the  arrival  of  the  pony  from  the  West,  the  news  brought 
from  the  Pacific  and  along  the  route  of  the  trail  was 
telegraphed  from  St.  Joseph  to  the  East  the  moment  the 
animal  arrived  with  his  important  budget. 

To  form  some  idea  of  the  enthusiasm  created  by  the 
inauguration  of  the  Pony  Express,  the  St.  Joseph  Free 
Democrat  said  in  relation  to  this  novel  method  of  carry- 
ing the  news  across  the  continent :  — 

"Take  down  your  map  and  trace  the  footprints  of  our 
quadrupedantic  animal :  From  St.  Joseph,  on  the  Missouri, 
to  San  Francisco,  on  the  Golden  Horn  —  two  thousand 
miles  —  more  than  half  the  distance  across  our  boundless 
continent ;  through  Kansas,  through  Nebraska,  by  Fort 
Kearney,  along  the  Platte,  by  Fort  Laramie,  past  the 
Buttes,  over-  the  Rocky  Mountains,  through  the  narrow 
passes  and  along  the  steep  defiles,  Utah,  Fort  Bridger, 
Salt  Lake  City,  he  witches  Brigham  with  his  swift  pony- 
ship —  through  the  valleys,  along  the  grassy  slopes,  into  the 
snow,  into  sand,  faster  than  Thor's  Thialfi,  away  they  go, 
rider  and  horse  —  did  you  see  them  ?  " 

"  They  are  in  California,  leaping  over  its  golden  sands, 
treading  its  busy  streets.  The  courser  has  unrolled  to  us 
the  great  American  panorama,  allowed  us  to  glance  at  the 
home  of  one  million  people,  and  has  put  a  girdle  around 
the  earth  in  fort}^  minutes.  Verily  the  riding  is  like  the 
riding  of  Jehu,  the  son  of  Nimshi,  for  he  rideth  furi- 
ously. Take  out  your  watch.  We  are  eight  days  from 
New  York,  eighteen  from  London.  The  race  is  to  the 
swift." 

A  whole  volume  might  be  gathered  of  the  stirring 
incidents  and  adventures  of  the  hardy  employees  of  the 
Pony  Express  in  its  two  years  of  existence.     The  major- 


172  THE   GIIEAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ity  of  the  actors  in  that  memorable  enterprise  have  passed 
beyond  the  confines  of  time. 

J.  G.  Kelley,  one  of  the  veteran  riders,  now  living  in 
Denver,  tells  his  story  of  those  eventful  days,  when  he 
rode  over  the  lonel}^  trail  carrying  despatches  for  Russell, 
Majors,  &  Waddell. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "I  was  a  Pony  Express  rider  in  1860, 
and  went  out  with  Bolivar  Roberts,  and  I  tell  you  it  was 
no  picnic.  No  amount  of  money  could  tempt  me  to  repeat 
my  experience  of  those  days.  To  begin  with,  we  had  to 
build  willow  roads,  corduroy  fashion,  across  many  places 
along  the  Carson  River,  carrying  bundles  of  willows  two 
and  three  hundred  yards  in  our  arms,  while  the  mos- 
quitoes were  so  thick  that  it  was  difficult  to  tell  whether 
the  man  was  white  or  black,  so  thickly  were  they  piled  on 
his  neck,  face,  and  arms. 

"Arriving  at  the  Sink  of  the  Carson  River,  we  began 
the  erection  of  a  fort  to  protect  us  from  the  Indians.  As 
there  were  no  rocks  or  logs  in  that  vicinity,  it  was  built 
of  adobes,  made  from  the  mud  on  the  shores  of  the  lake. 
To  mix  this  and  get  it  to  the  proper  consistency  to  mould 
into  adobes,  we  tramped  all  day  in  our  bare  feet.  This 
we  did  for  a  week  or  more,  and  the  mud  being  strongly 
impregnated  with  alkali  carbonate  of  soda,  you  can  ima- 
gine the  condition  of  our  feet.  They  were  much  swollen 
and  resembled  hams.  AVe  next  built  a  fort  at  Sand 
Springs,  twenty  miles  from  Carson  Lake,  and  another  at 
Cold  Springs,  thirty-seven  miles  east  of  Sand  Springs. 
At  the  latter  station  I  was  assigned  to  duty  as  assistant 
station-keeper,  under  Jim  McNaughton. 

"  The  war  against  the  Pi-Ute  Indians  was  then  at  its 
height,  and  as  we  were  in  the  middle  of  their  country,  it 
became  necessary  for  us  to  keep  a  standing  guard  night 
and  day.  The  Indians  Avere  often  skulking  around,  but 
none  of  them  ever  came  near  enough  for  us  to  get  a  shot 


THE    PONY    EXPRESS  173 

at  him,  till  one  dark  night  when  I  was  on  guard,  I 
noticed  one  of  our  horses  prick  up  his  ears  and  stare.  I 
looked  in  the  direction  indicated  and  saw  an  Indian's 
head  projecting  above  the  wall.  My  instructions  were 
to  shoot  if  I  saw  an  Indian  within  rifle-range,  as  that 
would  wake  the  boys  quicker  than  anything  else ;  so  I 
fired  and  missed  my  man. 

"  Later  on  we  saw  the  Indian  camp-fires  on  the  moun- 
tain, and  in  the  morning  many  tracks.  They  evidently 
intended  to  stampede  our  horses,  and  if  necessary  kill  us. 
The  next  day  one  of  our  riders,  a  Mexican,  rode  into  camp 
with  a  bullet-hole  through  him  from  the  left  to  the  right 
side,  having  been  shot  by  Indians  while  coming  down 
Edwards  Creek,  in  the  Quaking  Aspen  Bottom.  He  was 
tenderly  cared  for  but  died  before  surgical  aid  could  reach 
him. 

"  As  I  was  the  lightest  man  at  the  station,  I  was 
ordered  to  take  the  Mexican's  place  on  the  route.  My 
weight  Avas  then  one  hundred  pounds,  while  I  now  weigh 
one  hundred  and  thirty.  Two  days  after  taking  the  route, 
on  my  return  trip,  I  had  to  ride  through  the  forest  of 
quaking  aspen  where  the  Mexican  had  been  shot.  A 
trail  had  been  cut  through  these  little  trees,  just  wide 
enough  to  allow  horse  and  rider  to  pass.  As  the  road 
was  crooked  and  the  branches  came  together  from  either 
side,  just  above  my  head  when  mounted,  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  see  ahead  for  more  than  ten  or  fifteen  yards, 
and  it  was  two  miles  through  the  forest.  I  expected  to 
have  trouble,  and  prepared  for  it  by  dropping  my  bridle- 
reins  on  the  neck  of  the  horse,  putting  my  Sharp's  rifle  at 
full  cock,  and  keeping  both  my  spurs  into  the  pony's  flanks, 
and  he  went  through  that  forest  '  like  a  streak  of  greased 
lightning.' 

"At  the  top  of  the  hill  I  dismounted  to  rest  my  horse, 
and  looking  back  saw  the  bushes  moving  in  several  places. 


174  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

As  there  were  no  cattle  or  game  in  that  vicinity,  I  knew 
the  movements  to  be  caused  by  Indians,  and  was  more 
positive  of  it,  when,  after  firing  several  shots  at  the  spot 
where  I  saw  the  bushes  in  motion,  all  agitation  ceased. 
Several  days  after  that  two  United  States  soldiers,  who 
were  on  their  way  to  their  command,  were  shot  and  killed 
from  the  ambush  of  those  bushes,  and  stripped  of  their 
clothing  by  the  red  devils. 

"  One  of  my  rides  was  the  longest  on  the  route.  I 
refer  to  the  road  between  Cold  Springs  and  Sand  Springs, 
thirty-seven  miles,  and  not  a  drop  of  water.  It  was  on 
this  ride  that  I  made  a  trip  which  possibly  gave  to  our 
company  the  contract  for  carrying  the  mail  by  stage-coach 
across  the  Plains,  a  contract  that  was  largely  subsidized 
by  Congress. 

"  One  day  I  trotted  into  Sand  Springs  covered  with 
dust  and  perspiration.  Before  I  reached  the  station  I  saw 
a  number  of  men  running  toward  me,  all  carrying  rifles, 
and  one  of  them  with  a  wave  of  his  hand  said,  '  All  right, 
you  pooty  good  boy ;  you  go.'  I  did  not  need  a  second 
order,  and  as  quickly  as  possible  rode  out  of  their  presence, 
looking  back,  however,  as  long  as  they  were  in  sight,  and 
keeping  my  rifle  handy. 

"  As  I  look  back  on  those  times  I  often  wonder  that  we 
were  not  all  killed.  A  short  time  before,  Major  Ormsby 
of  Carson  City,  in  connnand  of  seventy -five  or  eighty  men, 
went  to  Pyramid  Lake  to  give  battle  to  the  Pi-Utes,  who 
had  been  killing  emigrants  and  prospectors  by  the  whole- 
sale. Nearly  all  of  the  command  were  killed.  Another 
regiment  of  about  seven  hundred  men,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Colonel  Daniel  E.  Hungerford  and  Jack  Hayes, 
the  noted  Texas  Ranger,  was  raised.  Hungerford  was 
the  beau-ideal  of  a  soldier,  as  he  was  already  the  hero  of 
three  wars,  and  one  of  the  best  tacticians  of  his  time. 
This    command    drove    the    Indians    pell-mell   for   three 


THE   PONY  EXPRESS  175 

miles  to  Mud  Lake,  killing  and  wounding  them  at  every 
jump.  Colonel  Hungerford  and  Jack  Hayes  received, 
and  were  entitled,  to  great  praise,  for  at  the  close  of  the 
war  terms  were  made  which  have  kept  the  Indians  peace- 
able ever  since.  Jack  Hayes  died  several  years  ago  in 
Alameda,  California.  Colonel  Hungerford,  at  the  ripe 
age  of  seventy  years,  is  hale  and  hearty,  enjoying  life  and 
resting  on  his  laurels  in  Italy,  where  he  resides  with  his 
granddaughter,  the  Princess  Colonna. 

"As  previously  stated  it  is  marvellous  that  the  pony 
boys  were  not  all  killed.  There  were  only  four  men  at 
each  station,  and  the  Indians,  who  were  then  hostile, 
roamed  over  the  country  in  bands  of  from  thirty  to  a 
hundred. 

"  What  I  consider  my  most  narrow  escape  from  death 
was  being  shot  at  by  a  lot  of  fool  emigrants,  who,  when  I 
took  them  to  task  about  it  on  my  return  trip,  excused 
themselves  by  saying,  '  We  thought  you  was  an  Indian.'  " 

Another  of  the  daring  riders  of  the  Pony  Express  was 
Robert  Haslam.^  He  says:  "About  eight  months  after 
the  Pony  Express  was  established,  the  Pi-Ute  war  com- 
menced in  Nevada.  Virginia  City,  then  the  principal 
point  of  interest,  and  hourly  expecting  an  attack  from  the 
hostile  Indians,  was  only  in  its  infancy.  A  stone  hotel 
on  C  street  was  in  course  of  construction,  and  had  reached 
an  elevation  of  two  stories.  This  was  hastily  transformed 
into  a  fort  for  the  protection  of  the  women  and  children. 
From  the  city  the  signal-fires  of  the  Indians  could 
be  seen  on  every  mountain  peak,  and  all  available  men 
and  horses  were  pressed  into  service  to  repel  the  impend- 
ing assault  of  the  savages. 

"  When  I  reached  Reed's  Station,  on  the  Carson  River, 
I  found  no  change  of  horses,  as  all  those  at  the  station  had 
been  seized  by  the  whites  to  take  part  in  the  approaching 
1  Known  throughout  the  West  as  "Pony  Bob." 


176  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

battle.  I  fed  tlie  animal  that  I  rode,  and  started  for  the 
next  station,  called  Buckland's,  afterward  known  as  Fort 
Churchill,  fifteen  miles  farther  down  the  river.  It  was  to 
have  been  the  termination  of  my  journey  (as  I  had  changed 
my  old  route  to  this  one,  in  which  I  had  had  many  narrow 
escapes,  and  been  twice  wounded  by  the  Indians),  and  I 
had  already  ridden  seventy-five  miles  ;  but,  to  my  great 
astonishment,  the  other  rider  refused  to  go  on.  The 
superintendent,  W.  C.  Marley,  was  at  the  station,  but  all 
his  persuasion  could  not  prevail  on  the  rider,  Johnson 
Richardson,  to  take  the  road.  Turning  then  to  me, 
Marley  said :  — 

"  '  Bob,'  I  will  give  you  fifty  dollars  if  you  make  this 
ride.' 

"  I  replied,  '  I  will  go  at  once.' 

"Within  ten  minutes,  when  I  had  adjusted  my  Spencer 
rifle,  which  was  a  seven-shooter  and  my  Colt's  revolver, 
witli  two  cylinders  ready  for  use  in  case  of  emergency,  I 
started.  From  the  station  onward  it  was  a  lonely  and 
dangerous  ride  of  thirty-five  miles,  without  a  change,  to 
the  Sink  of  the  Carson.  I  arrived  there  all  right,  however, 
and  pushed  on  to  Sand  Springs,  tlirough  an  alkali  bottom 
and  sand-hills,  thirty  miles  farther,  without  a  drop  of 
water  all  along  the  route.  At  Sand  Springs  I  changed 
horses  and  continued  on  to  Cold  Springs,  a  distance  of 
thirty-seven  miles.  Another  change  and  a  ride  of  thirty 
more  miles  brouglit  me  to  Smith's  Creek.  Here  I  was 
relieved  by  J.  G.  Kelley.  I  had  ridden  one  hundred  and 
eighty-five  miles,  stopping  only  to  eat  and  change  horses. 

"  After  remaining  at  Smith's  Creek  about  nine  hours, 
I  started  to  retrace  my  journey  Avith  the  return  express. 
AVhen  I  arrived  at  Cold  Springs,  to  my  horror  I  found 
that  the  station  had  been  attacked  by  Indians,  the  keeper 
killed,  and  all  the  horses  taken  away.  I  decided  in  a 
moment  what   course    to    pursue  —  I    would   go    on.     I 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  177 

watered   my  horse,    having  ridden   him   thirty  miles    on 
time,  he  was   pretty  tired,  and  started  for  Sand  Springs, 
thirty-seven  miles  away.     It  was  growing  dark,  and  m}'- 
road  lay  through  heavy  sage-brush,  high  enough  in  some 
places  to  conceal  a  horse.      I  kept  a  bright  lookout,  and 
closely  watched  every  motion    of   my  poor  pony's  ears, 
which  is  a  signal  for  danger  in  an  Indian  country.     I  was 
prepared  for  a  fight,  but  the  stillness  of  the  night  and  the 
howling  of  the  wolves  and  coyotes  made  cold  chills  run 
through  me  at  times;  but  I  reached  Sand  Springs  in  safety 
and  reported  what  had  happened.     Before  leaving,  I  ad- 
vised the  station-keeper  to  come  with  me  to  the  Sink  of 
the  Carson,  for  I  was  sure  the  Indians  would  be  upon  him 
the  next  day.     He  took  my  advice,  and  so  probably  saved 
his  life,  for  the  following  morning  Smith's  Creek  was  at- 
tacked.    The  whites,  however,  were  well  protected  in  the 
shelter  of  a  stone   house,   from  which    they   fought   the 
savages  for  four  days.     At  the  end  of  that  time  they  were 
relieved  by  the  appearance  of  about  fifty  volunteers  from 
Cold  Springs.     These  men  reported  that  they  had  buried 
John  Williams,  the  brave  keeper  of  that  station,  but  not 
before  he  had  been  nearly  devoured  by  the  wolves. 

"  When  I  arrived  at  the  Sink  of  the  Carson,  I  found  the 
station-men  badly  frightened,  for  they  had  seen  some  fifty 
warriors,  decked  out  in  their  war-paint  and  reconnoitring. 
There  were  fifteen  white  men  here,  well  armed  and  ready 
for  a  fight.  The  station  was  built  of  adobe,  and  was  large 
enough  for  the  men  and  ten  or  fifteen  horses,  with  a  fine 
spring  of  water  within  a  few  feet  of  it.  I  rested  here  an 
hour,  and  after  dark  started  for  Buckland's,  where  I  ar- 
rived without  a  mishap  and  only  three  and  a  half  hours 
behind  schedule  time.  I  found  Mr.  Marley  at  Buckland's, 
and  when  I  related  to  him  the  story  of  the  Cold  Springs 
tragedy  and  my  success,  he  raised  his  previous  offer  of 
fifty  dollars  for  my  ride  to  one  hundred.      I  was  rather 


178  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

tired,  but  the  excitement  of  the  trip  had  braced  me  up  to 
withstand  the  fatigue  of  the  journey.  After  a  rest  of  one 
and  a  lialf  hours,  I  proceeded  over  my  own  route  from 
Buckhind's  to  Friday's  Station,  crossing  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
I  had  travelled  tliree  hundred  and  eighty  miles  within  a 
few  hours  of  schedule  time,  and  was  surrounded  by  perils 
on  every  hand." 

After  the  Pony  Express  was  discontinued  Pony  Bob  was 
employed  by  Wells,  Fargo,  &  Company  as  an  express  rider 
in  the  ^3rosecution  of  their  transportation  business.  His 
route  was  between  Virginia  City,  Nevada,  and  Friday's 
Station  and  return,  about  one  hundred  miles,  every  twenty- 
four  hours  ;  schedule  time,  ten  hours.  This  engagement 
continued  for  more  than  a  3-ear  ;  but  as  the  Union  Pacific 
Railway  gradually  extended  its  line  and  operations,  the 
Pony  Express  business  as  gradually  diminished.  Finally 
the  track  was  completed  to  Reno,  Nevada,  twenty-three 
miles  from  Virginia  City,  and  over  this  route  Pony  Bob 
rode  for  more  than  six  months,  making  the  run  every 
day,  with  fifteen  horses,  inside  of  one  hour.  When  the 
telegraph  line  was  completed,  the  Pony  Express  over  this 
route  was  withdrawn,  and  Pony  Bob  was  sent  to  Idaho, 
to  ride  the  company's  express  route  of  one  hundred 
miles,  with  one  horse,  from  Queen's  River  to  the  Owyhee 
River.  He  was  at  the  former  station  when  ]Major 
McDermott  was  killed  at  the  breaking  oat  of  the  ]\Iodoc 
War. 

On  one  of  his  rides  he  passed  the  remains  of  ninet\' 
Chinamen  who  had  been  killed  by  the  Indians,  only  one 
escaping  to  tell  the  tale.  Their  bodies  lay  bleaching  in 
the  sun  for  a  distance  of  more  than  ten  miles  from  the 
mouth  of  Ives  Caiion  to  Crooked  Creek.  This  was 
Pony  Bob's  last  experience  as  Pony  Express  rider.  His 
successor,  Macaulas,  was  killed  by  the  Indians  on  his 
first  trip. 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  179 

A  few  daredevil  fellows  generally  did  double  duty  and 
rode  eighty  or  eighty-five  miles.  One  of  them  was 
Charles  Cliff,  now  living  in  Missouri,  who  rode  from  St. 
Joseph  to  Seneca  and  back  on  alternate  days.  He  was 
attacked  by  Indians  at  Scott's  Bluff,  receiving  three  balls 
in  his  body  and  twenty-seven  in  his  clothes.  He  made 
Seneca  and  back  in  eight  hours  each  way. 

James  Moore,  the  first  post-trader  at  Sidney,  Nebraska, 
made  a  ride  Avhich  may  well  lay  claim  to  be  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  on  record.  He  was  at  Midway  Station, 
in  Western  Nebraska,  on  June  8,  1860,  when  a  very 
important  government  despatch  for  the  Pacific  coast 
arrived.  Mounting  his  pony,  he  sped  on  to  Julesburg, 
one  hundred  and  forty  miles  away,  and  he  got  every  inch 
of  speed  out  of  his  mounts.  At  Julesburg  he  met  another 
important  government  despatch  for  Washington.  The 
rider  who  should  have  carried  the  despatch  east  had  been 
killed  the  day  before.  After  a  rest  of  only  seven  minutes 
and  without  eating  a  meal,  Moore  started  for  Midway, 
and  he  made  the  round  trip,  two  liundred  and  eighty 
miles,  in  fourteen  hours  and  forty-six  minutes.  The 
west-bound  despatch  reached  Sacramento  from  St.  Joseph 
in  eight  days,  nine  liours,  and  fort}^  minutes. 

The  authors  of  this  book  may  be  pardoned  for  the 
inevitable  introduction  here  of  the  part  taken  by  one  of 
them  in  this  service.  Their  old  friend  Colonel  Majors,  a 
well-known  figure  for  many  years  in  frontier  life,  when 
speaking  of  "  Billy  "  Cody,  as  he  was  called  in  those  days, 
says  that  -yvhile  engaged  in  the  express  service,  his  route 
lay  between  Red  Buttes  and  Three  Crossings,^  a  distance 
of  one  hundred  and  sixteen  miles.  It  was  a  most  danger- 
ous, long,  and  lonely  trail,  including  the  perilous  crossing 

1  So  called  because  the  trail  ran  through  a  canon  where  the  Sweet- 
water reached  fi-om  wall  to  w^all,  and  had  to  be  crossed  three  times  in  a 
short  distance. 


180  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAJL 

of  the  North  Phitte  River,  which  at  that  phice  was  half 
a  mile  wide  and,  though  generally  shallow,  in  some  plac^ 
reached  a  depth  of  twelve  feet,  a  stream  often  much 
swollen  and  very  turbulent.  An  average  of  fifteen  miles 
an  hour  had  to.  be  made,  including  change  of  horses, 
detours  for  safety,  and  time  for  meals. 

He  passed  through  many  a  gauntlet  of  death  in  his 
flight  from  station  to  station,  bearing  express  matter  that 
was  of  the  greatest  value. 

Colonel  Cody,  in  telling  the  story  of  his  own  experiences 
with  the  Pony  Express,  says  :  — 

"The  enterprise  was  just  being  started.  The  line  was 
stocked  with  horses  and  put  into  good  running  order.  At 
Julesburg  I  met  Mr.  George  Clirisnian,  the  leading  wagon- 
master  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell,  who  had  alwaj's 
been  a  good  friend  to  me.  He  had  bought  out  'Old  Jules,' 
and  was  then  the  owner  of  Julesburg  Ranch,  and  the 
agent  of  the  Pony  Express  line.  He  hired  me  at  once  as  a 
Pony  Express  rider,  but  as  I  was  so  young  he  thought  I 
was  not  able  to  stand  the  fierce  riding  which  was  required 
of  the  messengers.  He  knew,  however,  that  I  had  been 
raised  in  the  saddle,  —  that  I  felt  more  at  home  there  than 
in  any  other  place,  —  and  as  he  saw  that  I  was  confident 
that  I  could  stand  the  racket,  and  could  ride  as  far  and  en- 
dure it  as  well  as  some  of  the  old  riders,  he  gave  me  a  short 
route  of  forty-five  miles,  with  the  stations  fifteen  miles 
apart,  and  three  changes  of  horses.  I  was  fortunate  in 
getting  well-broken  animals,  and  being  so  light  I  easily 
made  my  forty-five  miles  on  my  first  trip  out,  and  ever 
afterward. 

"As  the  warm  days  of  summer  approached  I  longed 
for  the  cool  air  of  the  mountains  ;  and  to  the  mountains  I 
determined  to  go.  When  I  returned  to  Leavenworth  I 
met  my  old  wagon-master  and  friend,  Lewis  Simpson, 
who  was  fitting  out  a  train  at  Atchison  and  loading  it 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  181 

with  supplies  for  the  Overhuid  Stage  Company,  of  which 
j\I,r.  Russell,  my  old  employer,  was  one  of  the  proprietors. 
Simpson  was  going  with  this  train  to  Fort  Laramie  and 
points  farther  west. 

"'Come  along  with  me,  Billy,'  said  he',  'I'll  give  you  a 
good  lay-out.     I  want  you  with  me.' 

" '  I  don't  know  that  T  would  like  to  go  as  far  west  as 
that  again,'  I  replied,  '  but  I  do  want  to  ride  the  Pony 
Express  once  more  ;  there's  some  life  in  that,' 

" '  Yes,  that's  so ;  but  it  will  soon  shake  the  life  out  of 
)-ou,'  said  he.  '  However,  if  that's  what  you've  got  your 
mind  set  on,  you  had  better  come  to  Atchison  with  me  and 
see  Mr,  Russell,  who,  I'm  pretty  certain,  will  give  you  a 
situation.' 

"  I  met  Mr.  Russell  there  and  asked  him  for  employ- 
ment as  a  Pony  Express  rider  ;  he  gave  me  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Slade,  who  was  then  the  stage-agent  for  the  division  ex- 
tending from  Julesburg  to  Rock}^  Ridge.  Slade  had  his 
headquarters  at  Horseshoe  Station,  thirty-six  miles  west 
of  Fort  Laramie,  and  I  made  the  trip  thither  in  company 
with  Simpson  and  his  train. 

"Almost  the  first  person  I  saw  after  dismounting  from 
my  horse  was  Slade.  I  walked  up  to  him  and  presented 
Mr.  Russell's  letter,  which  he  hastily  opened  and  read. 
With  a  sweeping  glance  of  his  eye  he  took  my  measure 
from  head  to  foot,  and  then  said :  — 

"  '  My  boy,  you  are  too  3^oung  for  a  Pony  Express  rider. 
It  takes  men  for  that  business.' 

"  '  I  rode  two  months  last  year  on  Bill  Trotter's  division, 
sir,  and  filled  the  bill  then  ;  and  I  think  I  am  better  able 
to  ride  now,'  said  I. 

'"What  !  are  you  the  boy  that  was  riding  there,  and 
was  called  the  youngest  rider  on  the  road  ? ' 

" '  I  am  the  same  boy,'  I  replied,  confident  that  every- 
thing was  now  all  right  for  me. 


182  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

"'I  have  heard  of  you  before.  You  are  a  year  or  so 
okler  now,  and  I  tliink  you  can  stand  it.  I'll  give  you  a 
trial,  anyhow,  and  if  you  weaken  you  can  come  back  to 
Horseshoe  Station  and  tend  stock.' 

"Thus  ended  our  interview.  The  next  day  he  assigned 
me  to  duty  on  the  road  from  Red  Buttes  on  the  North 
Platte  to  the  Three  Crossings  of  the  Sweetwater,  —  a  dis- 
tance of  seventy-six  miles,  —  and  I  began  riding  at  once. 
It  was  a  long  piece  of  road,  but  I  was  equal  to  the  under- 
taking ;  and  soon  afterward  had  an  opportunity  to  exhibit 
my  power  of  endurance  as  a  Pony  Express  rider. 

"For  some  time  matters  progressed  very  smoothly, 
though  I  had  no  idea  that  things  would  always  continue 
so.  I  was  well  aware  that  the  portion  of  the  trail  to 
which  I  had  been  assigned  was  not  only  the  most  desolate 
and  lonely,  but  it  was  more  eagerly  watched  by  the 
savages  than  elsewhere  on  the  long  route. 

"Blade,  the  boss,  whenever  I  arrived  safely  at  the 
station,  and  before  I  started  out  again,  Avas  always  very 
earnest  in  his  suggestions  to  look  out  for  my  scalp. 

"  '  You  know,  Billy,'  he  would  say,  'I  am  satisfied  yours 
will  not  always  be  the  peacef id  route  it  has  been  with  you 
so  far.  Every  time  you  come  in  I  expect  to  hear  that  you 
have  met  with  some  startling  adventure  that  does  not 
always  fall  to  the  average  express  rider.' 

"I  replied  that  I  was  always  cautious,  made  detours 
whenever  I  noticed  an3^thing  suspicious.  '  You  bet  I  look 
out  for  number  one.'     The  change  soon  came. 

"  One  day,  when  I  galloped  into  Three  Crossings,  my 
home  station,  I  found  that  the  rider  who  was  expected  to 
take  the  trip  out  on  my  arrival,  had  gotten  into  a  drunken 
row  the  night  before  and  had  been  killed.  This  left  that 
division  without  a  rider.  As  it  was  very  difficult  to  engage 
men  for  the  service  in  that  uninhabited  region,  the  superin- 
tendent requested  me  to  make  the  trip  until  another  rider 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  183 

could  be  secured.  The  distance  to  the  next  station,  Rocky 
Ridge,  was  eighty-five  miles  and  through  a  very  bad  and 
dangerous  country,  but  the  emergency  was  great  and  I  con- 
cluded to  try  it.  I  therefore  started  promptly  from  Three 
Crossings  without  more  than  a  moment's  rest.  I  pushed 
on  with  tlie  usual  rapidity,  entering  every  relay  station  on 
time,  and  accomplished  the  round  trip  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty-two  miles  back  to  Red  Buttes  without  a  single 
mishap  and  on  time.  This  stands  on  the  records  as  being 
the  longest  Pony  Express  journey  ever  made. 

"  A  week  after  making  this  trip,  and  while  passing  over 
the  route  again,  I  was  jumped  on  by  a  band  of  Sioux  Ind- 
ians who  dashed  out  from  a  sand  ravine  nine  miles  west 
of  Horse  Creek.  They  were  armed  with  pistols,  and  gave 
me  a  close  call  with  several  bullets,  but  it  fortunately 
happened  that  I  was  mounted  on  the  fleetest  horse  be- 
longing to  the  express  company,  aud  one  that  was  pos- 
sessed of  remarkable  endurance.  Being  cut  off  from 
retreat  back  to  Horseshoe,  I  put  spurs  to  my  horse,  and 
lying  flat  on  his  back,  kept  straight  for  Sweetwater,  the 
next  station,  which  I  reached  without  accident,  having 
distanced  my  pursuers.  Upon  reaching  that  place,  how- 
ever, I  found  a  sorry  condition  of  affairs,  as  the  Indians 
had  made  a  raid  on  the  station  the  morning  of  my  advent- 
ure with  them,  and  after  killing  the  stock-tender  had 
driven  off  all  the  horses,  so  that  I  was  unable  to  get  a 
remount.  I  therefore  continued  on  to  Ploutz'  Station 
—  twelve  miles  farther  —  thus  making  twent3^-f our  miles 
straight  run  with  one  horse.  I  told  the  people  at  Ploutz' 
what  had  happened  at  Sweetwater  Bridge,  and  went  on 
and  finished  the  trip  without  any  further  adventure. 

"  About  the  middle  of  September  the  Indians  became 
very  troublesome  on  the  line  of  the  stage-road  along  the 
Sweetwater.  Between  Split  Rock  and  Three  Crossings 
they  robbed  a  stage,  killed  the  driver  and  two  passengers, 


184  THE  GUEAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

and  badly  wounded  Lieutenant  Flowers,  the  assistant  di- 
vision agent.  The  redskinned  thieves  also  drove  off  the 
stock  from  the  different  stations,  and  were  continually 
lying  in  wait  for  the  passing  stages  and  Pony  Express 
riders,  so  that  we  had  to  take  many  desperate  chances  in 
running  the  gauntlet. 

•'  The  Indians  had  now  become  so  bad  and  had  stolen 
so  much  stock  that  it  was  decided  to  stop  the  Pony  Express 
for  at  least  six  weeks,  and  to  run  the  stages  only  occasion- 
ally during  that  period ;  in  fact,  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible to  continue  the  enterprise  much  longer  without 
restocking  the  line. 

''  While  we  were  thus  all  lying  idle,  a  partj^  was  organ- 
ized to  go  out  and  search  for  stolen  stock.  This  party 
was  composed  of  stage-drivers,  express-riders,  stock- 
tenders,  and  ranchmen  —  forty  of  them  all  together — ^and 
they  were  well  armed  and  well  mounted.  They  were 
mostly  men  who  had  undergone  all  kinds  of  liardships 
and  braved  every  danger,  and  they  were  ready  and 
anxious  to  '  tackle '  any  number  of  Indians.  Wild  Bill, 
who  had  been  driving  stage  on  the  road  and  had  recently 
come  down  to  our  division,  was  elected  cajitain  of  the 
company.  It  was  supposed  that  the  stolen  stock  had 
been  taken  to  the  head  of  the  Powder  River  and  vicinity, 
and  the  party,  of  which  I  was  a  member,  started  out  for 
that  section  in  high  hopes  of  success. 

"  Twenty  miles  out  from  Sweetwater  Bridge,  at  the 
head  of  Horse  Creek,  we  found  an  Indian  trail  running 
north  toward  Powder  River,  and  we  could  see  by  the  tracks 
that  most  of  the  horses  had  been  recently  shod  and  were 
undoubtedly  our  stolen  stage-stock.  Pushing  rapidly 
forward,  we  followed  this  trail  to  Powder  River ;  thence 
down  this  stream  to  within  about  forty  miles  of  the  spot 
where  old  Fort  Reno  now  stands.  Here  the  trail  took  a 
more  westerly  course   along  the  foot  of  the  mountains, 


THE   POXY    EXPRESS  185 

leading  eventually  to  Crazy  Woman's  Fork  —  a  tributary 
of  Powder  River.  At  this  point  we  discovered  that  the 
party  whom  we  were  trailing  had  been  joined  by  another 
band  of  Indians,  and,  judging  from  the  fresh  appearance 
of  the  trail,  the  united  body  could  not  have  left  this  spot 
more  than  twenty-four  hours  before. 

"  Being  aware  that  we  were  now  in  the  heart  of  the 
hostile  country  and  might  at  any  moment  find  more 
Indians  than  we  had  lost,  we  advanced  with  more  caution 
than  usual  and  kept  a  sharp  lookout.  As  we  were  ap- 
proaching Clear  Creek,  another  tributary  of  Powder 
River,  we  discovered  Indians  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
creek,  some  three  miles  distant  ;  at  least  we  saw  horses 
grazing,  which  was  a  sure  sign  that  there  were  Indians 
there. 

"The  Indians,  thinking  themselves  in  comj)arative 
safety,  —  never  before  having  been  followed  so  far  into 
their  own  country  by  white  men,  —  had  neglected  to  put 
out  any  scouts.  They  had  no  idea  that  there  were  any 
white  men  in  that  part  of  the  country.  We  got  the  lay 
of  their  camp,  and  then  held  a  council  to  consider  and 
mature  a  plan  for  capturing  it.  We  knew  full  well  that 
the  Indians  would  outnumber  us  at  least  three  to  one,  and 
perhaps  more.  Upon  the  advice  and  suggestion  of  Wild 
Bill,  it  was  finally  decided  that  we  should  wait  until 
it  was  nearly  dark,  and  then,  after  creeping  as  close  to 
them  as  possible,  make  a  dash  through  their  camp,  open 
a  general  fire  on  them,  and  then  stampede  the  horses. 

"  This  plan,  at  the  proper  time,  was  very  successfully 
executed.  The  dash  upon  the  enemy  was  a  complete  sur- 
prise to  them.  They  were  so  overcome  with  astonish- 
ment that  they  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it.  We 
could  not  have  astounded  them  any  more  had  we  dropped 
down  into  their  camp  from  the  clouds.  They  did  not 
recover  from  the  surprise   of   this    sudden    charge    until 


186  THE   GUKAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

after  we  had  ridden  pell-mell  through  their  camp  and  got 
away  with  our  own  horses  as  well  as  theirs.  We  at  once 
circled  the  horses  around  toward  the  south,  and  after  get- 
ting them  on  the  south  side  of  Clear  Creek,  some  twenty 
of  our  men  —  just  as  the  darkness  was  coming  on  —  rode 
back  and  gave  the  Indians  a  few  parting  shots.  We  then 
took  up  our  line  of  march  for  Sweetwater  Bridge,  where 
we  arrived  four  days  afterward  with  all  our  own  horses 
and  about  one  hundred  captured  Indian  ponies. 

''  The  expedition  had  i)roved  a  grand  success,  and  the 
event  was  celebrated  in  the  usual  manner  —  by  a  grand 
spree.  The  only  store  at  Sweetwater  Bridge  did  a  rush- 
ing business  for  several  days.  The  returned  stock-hunt- 
ers drank  and  gambled  and  fought.  The  Indian  ponies, 
which  had  been  distributed  among  the  captors,  passed 
from  hand  to  hand  at  almost  every  deal  of  cards. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  limit  to  the  rioting  and  carousing ; 
revelry  reigned  supreme.  On  the  third  day  of  the  orgy, 
Slade,  who  had  heard  the  news,  came  up  to  the  bridge  and 
took  a  hand  in  the  '  fun,'  as  it  was  called.  To  add  some 
variation  and  excitement  to  the  occasion,  Slade  got  into 
a  quarrel  with  a  stage-driver  and  shot  him,  killing  him 
almost  instantly. 

"  The  boys  became  so  elated  as  well  as  '  elevated '  over 
their  success  against  the  Indians  that  most  of  them  were 
in  favour  of  going  back  and  cleaning  out  the  whole  Indian 
race.  One  old  driver  especially,  Dan  Smith,  was  eager  to 
open  a  war  on  all  the  hostile  nations,  and  had  the  drink- 
ing been  continued  another  week  he  certainly  would  have 
undertaken  the  job,  single-lianded  and  alone.  The  spree 
filially  came  to  an  end  ;  tlie  men  sobered  down  and  aban- 
doned the  idea  of  again  invading  the  hostile  country. 
The  recovered  horses  were  replaced  on  the  road,  and  the 
stages  and  Pony  Express  again  began  running  on  time. 

"  Slade,  having  taken  a  great  fancy  to  me,  said,  '  Billy, 


THE    PONY    EXPRESS  187 

I  want  3^ou  to  come  down  to  my  headquarters,  and  I'll 
make  you  a  sort  of  supernumerary  rider,  and  send  you 
out  only  when  it  is  necessary.' 

"  I  accepted  the  offer  and  went  with  him  down  to 
Horseshoe,  wliere  I  had  a  comparatively  easy  time  of  it. 
I  had  always  been  fond  of  hunting,  and  I  now  had  a  good 
opportunity  to  gratify  my  ambition  in  that  direction,  as  I 
had  plenty  of  spare  time  on  my  hands.  In  this  connec- 
tion I  will  relate  one  of  my  bear-hunting  adventures. 
One  day,  when  I  had  nothing  else  to  do,  I  saddled  up  an 
extra  Pony  Express  horse,  and,  arming  myself  with  a  good 
rifle  and  pair  of  revolvers,  struck  out  for  the  foot-hills  of 
Laramie  Peak  for  a  bear-hunt.  Riding  carelessly  along, 
and  breathing  the  cool  and  bracing  mountain  air  which 
came  down  from  the  slojjes,  I  felt  as  only  a  man  can  feel 
who  is  roaming  over  tlie  prairies  of  the  far  West,  well 
armed  and  mounted  on  a  fleet  and  gallant  steed.  The 
perfect  freedom  which  he  enjoys  is  in  itself  a  refreshing 
stimulant  to  the  mind  as  well  as  the  body.  Such  indeed 
were  my  feelings  on  this  beautiful  day  as  I  rode  up  the 
valley  of  the  Horseshoe.  Occasionally  I  scared  up  a  flock 
of  sage-hens  or  a  jack-rabbit.  Antelopes  and  deer  were 
almost  always  in  sight  in  any  direction,  but,  as  they  were 
not  the  kind  of  game  I  was  after  on  that  day,  I  passed 
them  by  and  kept  on  toward  the  mountains.  The  farther 
I  rode  the  rougher  and  wilder  became  the  country,  and  I 
knew  that  I  was  approaching  the  haunts  of  the  bear.  I 
did  not  discover  any,  however,  although  I  saw  plenty  of 
tracks  in  the  snow. 

"  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  my  horse  having 
become  tired,  and  myself  being  rather  weary,  I  shot  a  sage- 
hen,  and,  dismounting,  I  unsaddled  my  horse  and  tied  him 
to  a  small  tree,  where  he  could  easily  feed  on  the  mountain 
grass.  I  then  built  a  little  Are,  and  broiling  the  chicken 
and  seasoning  it  with  salt  and  pepper,  which  I  had  obtained 


188  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

from  my  saddle-bags,  I  soon  sat  down  to  a  'genuine 
square  meal,'  whicli  I  greatly  relished. 

"  After  resting  for  a  couple  of  hours,  I  remounted  and 
resumed  my  upward  trip  to  the  mountain,  having  made 
up  my  mind  to  camp  out  that  night  rather  than  go  back 
without  a  bear,  which  my  friends  knew  I  had  gone  out  for. 
As  the  days  were  growing  short,  niglit  soon  came  on,  and 
I  looked  around  for  a  suitable  camping-place.  While  thus 
engaged,  I  scared  up  a  flock  of  sage-hens,  two  of  which  I 
shot,  intending  to  have  one  for  supper  and  the  other  for 
breakfast. 

''  By  tliis  time  it  was  becoming  quite  dark  and  I  rode 
down  to  one  of  the  little  mountain  streams,  where  I  found 
an  open  place  in  the  timber  suitable  for  a  camp.  I  dis- 
mounted, and,  after  unsaddling  my  horse  and  hitching  him 
to  a  tree,  I  prepared  to  start  a  fire.  Just  then  I  was 
startled  by  hearing  a  horsa  whinnying  farther  up  tlie  stream. 
It  was  quite  a  surprise  to  me,  and  I  immediately  ran  to 
my  animal  to  keep  him  from  answering  as  horses  usually 
do  in  such  cases.  I  tliought  that  the  strange  horse  might 
belong  to  some  roaming  band  of  Indians,  as  I  knew  of  no 
white  men  being  in  that  portion  of  the  country  at  that  time. 
I  was  certain  that  the  owner  of  the  strange  horse  could  not 
be  far  distant,  and  I  was  very  anxious  to  find  out  who  my 
neighbour  was,  before  letting  him  know  that  I  was  in  his 
vicinity.  I  therefore  resaddled  my  horse,  and  leaving  him 
tied  so  that  I  could  easily  reach  liim,  I  took  my  gun  and 
started  out  on  a  scouting  expedition  up  the  stream.  I 
had  gone  about  four  hundred  yards  when,  in  a  bend  of 
the  stream,  I  discovered  ten  or  fifteen  horses  grazing.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  a  light  was  shining  high  uj) 
the  mountain  bank.  Approaching  the  mysterious  spot  as 
cautiously  as  possible,  and  when  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
light,  —  which  I  discovered  came  from  a  dugout  in  the 
mountain  side,  —  I  heard  voices,  and  soon  I  was  able  to  dis- 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  189 

tinguish  the  words,  as  they  proved  to  be  in  iny  own  hiii- 
guage.  Then  I  knew  that  the  occupants  of  the  dugout 
were  white  men.  Thinking  that  they  might  be  a  party  of 
trappers,  I  boldly  walked  up  to  the  door  and  knocked  for 
admission.  The  voices  instantly  ceased,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment a  deathlike  silence  reigned  inside.  Then  tliere 
seemed  to  follow  a  kind  of  hurried  whispering,  —  a  sort  of 
consultation, —  and  then  some  one  called  out:  — 

" '  Who's  there  ?  ' 

"  'A  friend  and  a  white  man,'  I  replied. 

"The  door  opened,  and  a  big  ugly-looking  fellow  stepped 
forth  and  said  :  — 

"'Come  in.' 

"  I  accepted  the  invitation  with  some  degree  of  fear  and 
hesitation,  which  I  endeavoured  to  conceal,  as  I  thought  it 
was  too  late  to  back  out,  and  that  it  would  never  do  to 
weaken  at  that  point,  whether  they  were  friends  or  foes. 
Upon  entering  the  dugout  m}^  eyes  fell  upon  eight  as 
rough  and  villanous-looking  men  as  I  ever  saw  in  my  life. 
Two  of  them  I  instantly  recognized  as  teamsters  who  had 
been  driving  in  Lew  Simpson's  train,  a  few  months  before, 
and  had  been  discharged. 

"  They  were  charged  with  the  murdering  and  robbing 
of  a  ranchman  ;  and,  having  stolen  his  horses,  it  was  sup- 
posed that  they  had  left  the  country.  I  gave  them  no 
signs  of  recognition,  however,  deeming  it  advisable  to  let 
them  remain  in  ignorance  as  to  who  I  was.  It  was  a 
hard  crowd,  and  I  concluded  the  sooner  I  could  get 
away  from  them  the  better  it  would  be  for  me.  I  felt 
confident  that  they  were  a  band  of  horse-thieves. 

"'Where  are  you  going,  young  man,  and  who's  with 
you  ?  '  asked  one  of  the  men,  who  appeared  to  be  the  leader 
of  the  gang. 

"  '  I  am  entirely  alone.  I  left  Horseshoe  Station  this 
morning  for  a  bear-hunt,  and  not  finding  any  bears  I  liad 


190  THE  GKEAT  SALT  LAKK  TRAIL 

determined  to  camp  out  for  tlie  night  and  wait  till 
morning,'  said  I;  'and  just  as  I  was  going  into  camp  a 
few  hundred  yards  down  the  creek  I  lieard  one  of  your 
horses  whinnying,  and  then  I  came  to  your  camp.' 

"•  I  was  thus  explicit  in  my  statement  in  order,  if 
possible,  to  satisfy  the  cut-throats  that  I  was  not  spying 
upon  them,  but  that  my  intrusion  was  entirely  accidental. 

"'Where's  your  horse?'  demanded  the  boss  thief. 

" '  I  left  him  down  at  the  creek,'  I  answered. 

"  They  proposed  going  after  the  horse,  but  I  thought 
that  that  would  never  do,  as  it  would  leave  me  without 
any  means  of  escape,  and  I  accordingly  said,  in  hopes  to 
throw  them  off  the  track,  'Captain,  I'll  leave  my  gun 
here  and  go  down  and  get  my  horse,  and  come  back  and 
stay  all  night.' 

"  I  said  this  in  as  cheerful  and  as  careless  a  manner  as 
possible,  so  as  not  to  arouse  their  suspicions  in  any  way  or 
lead  them  to  think  that  I  was  aware  of  their  true  charac- 
ter. I  hated  to  part  with  my  gun,  but  my  suggestion  of 
leaving  it  was  a  part  of  the  plan  of  escape  which  I  had 
arranged.  If  they  have  the  gun,  thought  I,  they  will 
surelv  believe  that  I  intend  to  come  back.  But  this 
little  game  did  not  work  at  all,  as  one  of  the  desperadoes 
spoke  up  and  said :  — 

"'Jim  and  I  will  go  down  Avith  you  after  your  horse, 
and  you  can  leave  your  gun  here  all  the  same,  as  you'll 
not  need  it.' 

" '  All  right,'  I  replied,  for  I  could  certainly  have  done 
nothino-  else.  It  became  evident  to  me  that  it  would  be 
better  to  trust  myself  with  two  men  than  with  the  whole 
party.  It  was  apparent  from  this  time  on  I  would  have 
to  be  on  the  alert  for  some  good  opportunity  to  give  them 
the  slip. 

" '  Come  along,'  said  one  of  them,  and  together  we  went 
down  the  creek,  and  soon  came  to  tlie  spot  where  my 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  191 

horse  was  tied.  One  of  the  men  unhitched  the  animal, 
and  said,  'I'll  lead  the  horse.' 

"'Very  well,'  said  I;  'I've  got  a  couple  of  sage-hens 
here.     Lead  on.' 

"  I  picked  up  the  sage-hens  which  I  had  killed  a  few 
hours  before,  and  followed  the  man  who  was  leading  the 
horse,  while  his  companion  brought  up  the  rear.  The 
nearer  we  approached  the  dugout  the  more  I  dreaded  the 
idea  of  going  back  among  the  villanous  cut-throats.  My 
first  plan  of  escape  having  failed,  I  now  determined  upon 
another.  I  had  both  of  my  revolvers  with  me,  the  thieves 
not  having  thought  it  necessary  to  search  me.  It  was 
now  quite  dark,  and  I  purposely  dropped  one  of  the  sage- 
hens,  and  asked  the  man  behind  me  to  pick  it  up.  While 
he  was  hunting  for  it  on  the  ground,  I  quickly  pulled  out 
one  of  my  Colt's  revolvers  and  struck  him  a  tremendous 
blow  on  the  back  of  the  head,  knocking  him  senseless  to 
the  ground.  I  then  instantly  wheeled  around  and  saw 
that  the  man  ahead,  who  was  only  a  few  feet  distant,  had 
heard  the  blow  and  liud  turned  to  see  what  was  the 
matter,  his  hand  upon  his  revolver.  We  faced  each  other 
at  about  the  same  instant,  but  before  he  could  fire,  as  he 
tried  to  do,  I  shot  him  dead  in  his  tracks.  Then,  jump- 
ing on  my  horse,  I  rode  down  the  creek  as  fast  as  possible, 
through  the  darkness  and  over  the  rough  ground  and  rocks. 

"  The  other  outlaws  in  tlie  dugout,  having  heard  the 
shot  which  I  had  fired,  knew  there  was  trouble,  and  they 
all  came  rushing  down  the  creek.  I  suppose  by  the  time 
they  reached  tlie  man  whom  I  had  knocked  down  that  he 
had  recovered,  and  hurriedly  told  them  of  what  had 
happened.  They  did  not  stay  with  the  man  whom  I  had 
shot,  but  came  on  in  liot  pursuit  of  me.  They  were  not 
mounted,  and  were  making  better  time  down  the  rough 
mountain  than  I  was  on  horseback.  From  time  to  time  I 
heard  them  gradually  gaining  on  me. 


192  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

"  At  lust  they  came  so  near  that  I  saw  that  I  must 
abandon  my  horse.  So  1  jumped  to  the  ground,  and  gave 
him  a  hard  slap  with  the  butt  of  one  of  my  revolvers, 
which  started  him  on  down  the  valley,  while  I  scrambled 
up  the  mountain  side.  I  had  not  ascended  more  than 
forty  feet  when  I  heard  my  pursuers  coming  closer  and 
closer  ;  I  quickly  hid  behind  a  large  pine-tree,  and  in  a 
few  moments  they  all  rushed  by  me,  being  led  on  by  the 
rattling  footsteps  of  my  horse,  which  they  heard  ahead  of 
them.  Soon  they  began  firing  in  the  direction  of  the  horse, 
as  they  no  doubt  supposed  I  was  still  seated  on  his 
back.  As  soon  as  they  had  passed  me  I  climbed  further 
up  the  steep  mountain,  and  knowing  that  I  had  given 
them  the  slip,  and  feeling  certain  I  could  keep  out  of  their 
way,  I  at  once  struck  out  for  Horseshoe  Station,  which 
was  twenty-five  miles  distant.  I  had  very  hard  travel- 
ling at  first,  but  upon  reaching  lower  and  better  ground 
I  made  good  headway,  walking  all  night  and  getting 
into  the  station  just  before  daylight  —  footsore,  weary, 
and  generally  played  out. 

"  I  immediately  waked  up  the  men  of  the  station  and 
told  them  of  my  adventure.  Slade  himself  happened  to 
be  there,  and  he  at  once  organized  a  party  to  go  out  in 
pursuit  of  the  horse-thieves.  Shortly  after  daylight 
twenty  well-armed  stage-drivers,  stock-tenders,  and  ranch- 
men were  galloping  in  the  direction  of  the  dugout.  Of 
course  I  went  along  with  the  party,  notwithstanding  that 
I  was  very  tired  and  had  had  hardly  any  rest  at  all.  We 
had  a  brisk  ride,  and  arrived  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  thieves'  rendezvous  at  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. AVe  approached  the  dugout  cautiously,  but  upon 
getting  in  close  proximity  to  it  we  could  discover  no  horses 
in  sight.  We  could  see  the  door  of  the  dugout  standing 
wide  open,  and  we  marched  up  to  the  place.  No  one  was 
inside,  and  the  general  appearance  of  everything  indicated 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  193 

that  the  place  had  been  deserted  —  that  the  birds  had 
flown.     Such,  indeed,  proved  to  be  the  case. 

"  We  found  a  new-made  grave,  where  they  had  evidently 
buried  the  man  whom  I  had  shot.  We  made  a  thorough 
search  of  the  whole  vicinity,  and  finally  found  their  trail 
going  southeast  in  the  direction  of  Denver.  As  it  would 
have  been  useless  to  follow  them,  we  rode  back  to  the 
station ;  and  thus  ended  my  eventful  bear-hunt.  We  had 
no  trouble  for  some  time  after  that." 

A  friend  who  was  once  a  station  agent  tells  two  more 
adventures  of  Cod3^''s :  "  It  had  become  known  in  some 
mysterious  manner,  past  finding  out,  that  there  was  to  be 
a  large  sum  of  money  sent  through  by  Pony  Express,  and 
that  was  what  the  road  agents  were  after. 

"After  killing  the  other  rider,  and  failing  to  get  the 
treasure,  Cody  very  naturally  thought  that  they  would 
make  another  effort  to  secure  it;  so  when  he  reached  the 
next  relay  station  he  walked  about  a  while  longer  than 
was  his  wont. 

"  This  was  to  perfect  a  little  plan  he  had  decided  upon, 
which  was  to  take  a  second  pair  of  saddle-pouches  and  put 
something  in  them  and  leave  them  in  sight,  while  those 
that  held  the  valuable  express  packages  he  folded  up  in 
his  saddle-blanket  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  not  be 
seen  unless  a  search  was  made  for  them.  The  truth  was, 
Cody  knew  that  he  carried  the  valuable  package,  and  it 
was  his  duty  to  protect  it  with  his  life. 

"  So  with  the  clever  scheme  to  outwit  the  road  agents, 
if  held  up,  he  started  once  more  upon  his  flying  trip.  He 
carried  his  revolver  ready  for  instant  use  and  flew  along 
the  trail  with  every  nerve  strung  to  meet  any  danger 
which  might  confront  him.  He  had  an  idea  where  he 
would  be  halted,  if  halted  at  all,  and  it  was  a  lonesome 
spot  in  a  valley,  the  very  place  for  a  deed  of  crime. 

"  As  he  drew  near  the  spot  he  was  on  the  alert,  and  yet 


194  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TUAIL 

when  two  men  suddenly  stepped  out  from  among  the 
slirubs  and  confronted  him,  it  gave  him  a  start  in  spite  of 
his  nerve.  They  had  him  covered  with  rifles  and  brought 
him  to  a  halt  with  the  words  :  'Hold  !  Hands  up,  Pony 
Express  Bill,  for  we  know  yer,  my  boy,  and  what  yer 
carries.' 

"  '  I  carry  the  express  ;  and  jt's  hanging  for  you  two  if 
you  interfere  with  me,'  was  the  plucky  response. 

"  '  Ah,  we  don't  want  you,  Billy,  unless  you  force  us  to 
call  in  your  checks  ;  but  it's  what  you  carry  we  want.' 

" '  It  won't  do  you  any  good  to  get  the  pouch,  for  there 
isn't  anything  valuable  in  it.' 

"'We  are  to  be  the  judges  of  that,  so  throw  us  the  val- 
uables or  catch  a  bullet.     Which  shall  it  be,  Billy  ?  ' 

"The  two  men  stood  directly  in  front  of  the  pony- 
rider,  each  one  covering  him  with  a  rifle,  and  to  resist 
was  certain  death.  So  Cody  began  to  unfasten  his 
pouches  slowly,  while  he  said,  '  Mark  my  words,  men, 
you'll  hang  for  this.' 

"'We'll  take  chances  on  that.  Bill.' 

"  The  pouches  being  unfastened  now,  Cody  raised  them 
with  one  hand,  while  he  said  in  an  angry  tone,  '  If  you 
will  have  them,  take  them.'  With  this  he  hurled  the 
pouches  at  the  head  of  one  of  them,  who  quickly  dodged 
and  turned  to  pick  them  up,  just  as  Cody  fired  upon  the 
other  with  his  revolver  in  his  left  hand. 

"  The  bullet  shattered  the  man's  arm  while,  driving  the 
spurs  into  the  flanks  of  his  mare,  Cody  rode  directly  over 
the  man  who  was  stooping  to  pick  up  the  pouches,  his 
back  turned  to  the  pony-rider. 

"  The  horse  struck  him  a  hard  blow  that  knocked  him 
down,  while  he  half  fell  on  top  of  him,  but  Avas  recovered 
by  a  touch  of  the  spurs  and  bounded  on,  while  the  daring 
pony-rider  gave  a  wild  triumphant  yell  as  he  sped  on  like 
the  wind. 


THE   PONY   EXPRESS  195 

"The  fallen  man,  though  hurt,  scrambled  to  his  feet 
as  soon  as  he  could,  picked  up  his  rifle,  and  fired  after  the 
retreating  youth,  but  without  effect,  and  young  Cody  rode 
on,  arriving  at  the  station  on  time,  and  reported  what  had 
happened. 

"  He  had,  however,  no  time  to  rest,  for  he  was  compelled 
to  start  back  with  his  express  pouches.  He  thus  made 
the  remarkable  ride  of  three  hundred,  and  twenty-four 
miles  without  sleep,  and  stopping  only  to  eat  his  meals, 
and  resting  then  but  a  few  moments.  For  saving  the 
express  pouches  he  was  highly  complimented  by  all,  and 
years  afterward  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  his 
prophecy  regarding  the  two  road  agents  verified,  for  they 
were  both  captured  and  hanged  by  vigilant-3s  for  their 
many  crimes." 

"'There's  Injun  signs  about,  so  keep  your  eyes  open.' 
So  said  the  station-boss  of  the  Pony  Express,  addressing 
young  Cody,  who  had  dashed  up  to  the  cabin,  his  horse 
panting  like  a  hound,  and  the  rider  ready  for  the  fifteen- 
mile  fiight  to  the  next  relay.  '  I'll  be  on  the  watch,  boss, 
you  bet,'  said  the  pony-rider,  and  with  a  yell  to  his  fresh 
pony  he  was  off  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow. 

"  Down  the  trail  ran  the  fleet  pony  like  the  wind,  leav- 
ing the  station  quickly  out  of  sight,  and  dashing  at  once 
into  the  solitude  and  dangers  of  the  vast  wilderness. 
Mountains  were  upon  either  side,  towering  cliffs  here  and 
there  overhung  the  trail,  and  the  wind  sighed  through  the 
forest  of  pines  like  the  mourning  of  departed  spirits. 
Gazing  ahead,  the  piercing  eyes  of  the  young  rider  saw 
every  tree,  bush,  and  rock,  for  he  knew  but  too  well  that 
a  deadly  foe,  lurking  in  ambush,  might  send  an  arrow  or 
a  bullet  to  his  heart  at  any  moment.  Gradually,  far  down 
the  valley,  his  quick  glance  fell  upon  a  dark  object  above 
the  bowlder  directly  in  his  trail. 

"  He  saw  the  object  move  and    disappear    from   sight 


196  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

down  behind  the  rock.  AVithout  ajDpearing  to  notice  it, 
or  checking  his  speed  in  the  slightest,  he  held  steadily 
upon  his  way.  But  he  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance, 
and  saw  that  on  each  side  of  the  bowlder  the  valley  in- 
clined. Upon  one  side  was  a  fringe  of  heavy  timber, 
upon  the  other  a  precipice,  at  the  base  of  which  were 
massive  rocks. 

"'There  is  an  Indian  behind  that  rock,  for  I  saw  his 
head,'  muttered  the  young  rider,  as  his  horse  flew  on. 
Did  he  intend  to  take  his  chances,  and  dash  along  the 
trail  directly  by  his  ambushed  foe  ?  It  would  seem  so,  for 
he  still  stuck  to  the  trail. 

"A  moment  more  and  he  would  be  within  range  of  a 
bullet,  when,  suddenly  dashing  his  spurs  into  the  pony's 
sides,  Billy  Cody  Avheeled  to  the  right,  and  in  an  oblique 
course  headed  for  the  cliff.  This  proved  to  the  foe  in 
ambush  that  he  was  suspected,  if  not  known,  and  at  once 
there  came  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  the  puff  of  smoke  rising 
above  the  rock  where  he  was  concealed.  At  the  same 
moment  a  yell  went  up  from  a  score  of  throats,  and  out 
of  the  timber  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley  darted  a 
number  of  Indians,  and  these  rode  to  head  off  the  rider. 

"  Did  he  turn  back  and  seek  safety  in  a  retreat  to  the 
station  ?  No  !  he  was  made  of  sterner  stuff,  and  would 
run  the  gauntlet. 

"  Out  from  behind  the  bowlder,  where  they  had  been 
lying  in  ambush,  sprang  two  braves  in  all  the  glory  of 
their  war-paint.  Their  horses  were  in  the  timber  with 
their  comrades,  and,  having  failed  to  get  a  close  shot  at 
the  j)ony-rider,  they  sought  to  bring  him  down  at  long 
range  with  their  rifles.  The  bullets  pattered  under  the 
hoofs  of  the  flying  pony,  but  he  was  unhurt,  and  his 
rider  pressed  him  to  his  full  speed. 

"  With  set  teeth,  flashing  eyes,  and  determined  to  do  or 
die,  Will  Cody  rode  on  in  the  race  for  life,  the  Indians 


THE   PONY   EXPEESS  197 

on  foot  running  swiftly  toward  him,  and  the  mounted 
braves  sweeping  down  the  valley  at  full  speed. 

"  The  shots  of  the  dismounted  Indians  failing  to  bring 
down  the  flying  pony  or  their  human  game,  the  mounted 
redskins  saw  that  their  only  chance  was  to  overtake  their 
prey  by  their  speed.  One  of  the  number,  whose  war- 
bonnet  showed  that  he  was  a  chief,  rode  a  horse  that  was 
much  faster  than  the  others,  and  he  drew  quickly  ahead. 
Below  the  valley  narrowed  to  a  pass  not  a  hundred  yards 
in  width,  and  if  the  pony-rider  could  get  to  this  wall  ahead 
of  his  pursuers,  he  would  be  able  to  hold  his  own  along 
the  trail  in  the  ten-mile  run  to  the  next  relay  station. 

"  But,  though  he  saw  that  there  was  no  more  to  fear 
from  the  two  dismounted  redskins,  and  that  he  would 
come  out  well  in  advance  of  the  band  on  horseback,  there 
was  one  who  was  most  dangerous.  That  one  was  the 
chief,  whose  fleet  horse  was  bringing  him  on  at  a  terrible 
pace,  and  threatening  to  reach  there  at  the  same  time  with 
the  pony-rider. 

"  Nearer  and  nearer  the  two  drew  toward  the  path,  the 
horse  of  Cody  slightly  ahead,  and  the  young  rider  knew 
that  a  death-struggle  was  at  hand.  He  did  not  check  his 
horse,  but  kept  his  eyes  alternately  upon  the  pass  and 
the  chief.  The  other  Indians  he  did  not  then  take  into 
consideration.  At  length  that  happened  for  which  he 
had  been  looking. 

"  When  the  chief  saw  that  he  would  come  out  of  the 
race  some  thirty  yards  behind  his  foe,  he  seized  his  bow 
and  quick  as  a  flash  had  fitted  an  arrow  for  its  deadly 
flight.  But  in  that  instant  Cody  had  also  acted,  and  a 
revolver  had  sprung  from  his  belt  and  a  report  followed 
the  touching  of  the  trigger.  A  wild  yell  burst  from  the 
lips  of  the  chief,  and  he  clutched  madly  at  the  air,  reeled, 
and  fell  from  his  saddle,  rolling  over  like  a  ball  as  he 
struck  the  ground. 


198  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  The  death-cry  of  the  chief  was  echoed  by  the  braves 
coming  on  down  the  valley,  and  a  shower  of  arrows  was 
sent  after  the  fugitive  pony-rider.  An  arrow  slightly 
wounded  his  horse,  but  the  others  did  no  damage,  and  in 
another  second  Cody  had  dashed  into  the  pass  well  ahead 
of  his  foes.  It  was  a  hot  chase  from  then  on  until  the 
pony-rider  came  Avitliin  sight  of  the  next  station,  when  the 
Indians  drew  off  and  Cody  dashed  in  on  time,  and  in  an- 
other nunute  was  away  on  his  next  run." 

The  history  of  all  Colonel  Cody's  encounters  with  the 
savages  during  the  time  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  Pony 
Express  would  require  many  pages  to  recite,  and  as  there 
is  naturally  a  repetition  in  the  manner  of  all  attacks  and 
escapes  in  his  struggles  with  the  Indians  of  the  Great 
Plains  and  mountains,  it  would  perhaps  be  but  superero- 
gation to  tell  them  all  witliout  taxing  the  reader's  in- 
terest. 

Many  stories  of  adventure  are  related  of  those  terrible 
times,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the  opening  of  the  route 
across  the  continent  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  pro- 
jectors of  the  dangerous  undertaking  found  men  willing  to 
take  the  chances  that  constantly  menaced  the  daring  riders 
of  the  lonely  route. 

There  was  an  old  trapper  whose  only  cognomen  among 
the  civilized  men  of  the  border  was  "Whipsaw."  Of 
course  he  must  have  had  another,  but  none  ever  knew  of  it 
or  cared  to  inquire. 

One  day,  while  in  his  lonely  camp  attending  to  his  duties, 
a  Sioux  Indian  brought  to  him  a  captive  Pawnee  child 
about  two  years  old.  The  little  savage  was  stark  naked 
and  almost  frozen.  The  Sioux,  who  was  plainly  marked 
by  a  horrid  scar  across  his  face,  desired  to  dispose  of  the 
child  to  the  trapper,  and  the  latter,  as  was  every  one  of 
tliat  class  now  vanished  forever,  full  of  pity  and  kind- 
hearted  to  a  fault,  did  not  hesitate  a  moment,  but  traded 


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THE   PONY    EXPRESS  199 

a  knife  for  the  helpless  baby  —  all  the  savage  asked  for  the 
little  burden  of  humanity. 

The  old  trapper  took  care  of  the  young  Pawnee,  clothed 
him  in  his  rough  way,  encased  the  little  feet  in  moccasins, 
and  with  a  soft  doe-skin  jacket  the  little  fellow  throve  ad- 
mirably under  the  gentle  care  of  his  rough  nurse. 

When  the  young  Pawnee  had  reached  the  age  of  four 
years  the  old  trapper  was  induced  to  take  charge  of  one 
of  the  overland  stations  on  the  line  of  the  Pony  Express. 
The  old  agent  began  to  love  the  young  savage  with  an 
affection  that  was  akin  to  that  of  a  mother  ;  and  in  turn 
the  Pawnee  baby  loved  his  white  father  and  preserver. 
As  the  little  fellow  grew  in  stature  he  evinced  a  most 
intense  hatred  for  all  members  of  his  own  dark-skinned 
race.  He  never  let  an  opportunity  go  by  when  he  could 
do  them  an  injury,  however  slight. 

Of  course  at  times  many  of  the  so-called  friendly  Indians 
would  visit  the  station  and  beg  tobacco  from  the  old  trap- 
per, but  on  every  occasion  the  young  Pawnee  would  try  to 
do  them  some  injury.  Once,  when  he  was  only  four  years 
old,  and  a  party  of  friendly  Indians  as  usual  had  ridden 
up  to  the  station,  the  young  savage  quietly  crept  to  where 
their  horses  were  picketed,  cut  their  lariats,  and  stampeded 
all  of  them  !  At  another  time  he  made  an  attempt  to  kill 
an  Indian  who  had  stopped  for  a  moment  at  the  station, 
but  he  was  too  little  to  raise  properly  the  rifle  with  which 
he  intended  to  shoot  him. 

As  it  is  the  inherent  attribute  of  all  savages  to  be  far 
in  advance  of  the  whites  in  the  alertness  and  acuteness 
of  two  or  three  of  the  senses,  the  baby  Pawnee  was  won- 
derfully so.  He  could  hear  the  footsteps  of  a  bear  or 
the  scratching  of  a  panther,  or  even  the  tramp  of  a  horse's 
hoof  on  the  soft  sod,  long  before  the  old  traj^per  could 
make  out  the  slightest  sound.  He  could  always  tell 
when    the    Pony   Express   rider   was   approaching,   miles 


200  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE    TRAIL 

before  he  was  in  sight,  if  in  the  dajtinie,  and  at  night 
many  minutes  before  the  old  trapper's  ears,  whicli  Avere 
very  acute  also,  could  distinguish  the  sliglitest  sound. 

The  boy  was  christened  "  Little  Cay  use  "  because  his 
ears  could  catch  the  sound  of  an  approaching  horse's  foot 
long  before  any  one  else. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night,  while  his  white  father  was 
sound  asleep  on  his  pallet  of  robes,  the  little  Pawnee 
would  wake  him  hurriedly,  saying  "  Cayuse,  cayuse  I " 
Avhenever  the  Pony  Express  was  due.  The  rider  Avho 
was  to  take  the  place  of  the  one  nearing  the  station, 
would  rise,  quickly  put  the  saddle  on  his  broncho,  and 
be  all  read3^  when  the  pony  arrived,  to  snatch  the  saddle- 
bags from  him  whom  he  was  to  relieve,  and  in  another 
moment  dash  down  the  trail  raountainward. 

It  was  never  too  cold  or  too  warm  for  the  liandsome 
little  savage  to  get  up  on  these  occasions  and  give  a  sort 
of  rude  welcome  to  the  tired  rider,  who,  although  nearly 
worn  out  by  his  arduous  duty,  would  take  up  the  baby 
boy  and  pet  him  a  moment  before  he  tlirew  himself 
down  on  his  bed  of  robes. 

The  3'oung  Pawnee  had  a  very  strange  love  for  horses. 
He  would  always  hug  the  animals  as  they  came  off  their 
long  trip,  pat  their  noses,  and  softly  murmur,  "  Cayuse, 
cayuse."^ 

The  precocious  little  savage  was  known  to  every  rider 
on  the  trail  from  St.  Joe  to  Sacramento.  Of  course  the 
Indians  were  always  on  the  alert  to  steal  the  horses  that 
belonged  to  the  stations,  but  where  Little  Cayuse  was 
living  they  never  made  a  success  of  it,  owing  to  his  vigi- 
lance. Often  he  saved  the  animals  by  giving  the  soundly 
sleeping  men  warning  of  the  approach  of  the  savages  who 
were  stealthily  creeping  up  to  stampede  the  animals. 

The  boy  was  better  tluin  an  electric  battery,  for  he 
1  "  Cayuse  "  means  horse  in  some  Indian  dialects. 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  201 

never  failed  to  notify  the  men  of  the  approach  of  any- 
thing tliat  walked.  So  famous  did  he  become  that  his 
wonderful  powers  were  at  last  known  at  the  headquarters 
of  the  great  company,  and  the  president  sent  Little  Cay- 
use  a  beautiful  rifle  just  fitted  to  his  stature,  and  before  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  six  he  killed  with  it  a  great  gray 
wolf  that  came  prowling  around  the  station  one  evening. 

One  cold  night,  after  twelve  o'clock,  Whipsaw  happened 
to  get  out  of  bed,  and  he  found  the  little  Pawnee  sitting 
upright  in  his  bed,  apparently  listening  intently  to  some 
sound  which  was  perfectly  undistinguishable  to  other  ears. 

The  station-boss  whispered  to  him,  "  Horses  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  the  little  Pawnee,  but  continued  looking 
up  into  his  father's  face  w4th  an  unmistakable  air  of 
seriousness. 

"  Better  go  to  sleep,"  said  Whipsaw. 

Little  Cay  use  only  shook  his  head  in  the  negative.  The 
station-boss  then  turned  to  the  other  men  and  said  :  "  Wake 
up,  ail  of  you,  something  is  going  wrong." 

"What  is  the  matter?"  inquired  one  of  the  riders  as 
he  rose. 

"  I  don.'t  exactly  know,"  replied  the  boss,  "  but  Cayuse 
keeps  listening  with  them  wonderful  ears  of  his,  and 
when  I  told  him  to  go  to  sleep  he  only  shook  his  head,  and 
that  boy  never  makes  a  mistake." 

A  candle  was  lighted,  it  was  long  after  the  express  was 
due  from  the  east. 

The  little  Pawnee  looked  at  the  men  and  said,  "  Long 
time  —  no  cayuse  —  no  cayuse. " 

They  then  realized  what  the  Pawnee  meant :  it  was 
nearly  two  o'clock,  and  the  rider  from  the  East  was  more 
than  two  hours  behind  time.  The  little  Pawnee  knew  it 
better  than  any  clock  could  have  told  him,  and  both  of 
the  men  sat  up  uneasy,  fidgeting,  for  they  felt  that  some- 
thing had  gone  wrong,  as  it  was  beyond  the  possibility  for 


202  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

any  rider,  if  alive,  to  be  so  much  behind  the  schedule  time. 
They  anxiously  waited  by  the  dim  light  of  their  candle  for 
the  sound  of  liorses'  feet,  but  their  ears  were  not  rewarded 
by  the  welcome  sound. 

Cayuse,  who  was  still  in  his  ])ed  watcliing  the  counte- 
nances of  the  white  men,  suddenly  sprang  from  his  bed, 
and,  creeping  cautiously  out  of  the  door,  carefully  placed 
his  ear  to  the  ground,  the  men  meanwhile  watching  him. 
He  then  came  back  as  cautiously  as  he  had  gone  out,  and 
slowly  creeping  up  to  Whipsaw,  merely  said,  "  Heap 
cayuses !  " 

It  was  not  the  sound  of  the  rider's  horse  whom  they 
had  so  long  been  expecting,  but  a  band  of  predatory 
Sioux  bent  on  some  errand  of  mischief  ;  of  that  they  were 
certain,  now  that  the  Pawnee  had  given  them  the  warn- 
ing. Little  Cayuse  took  his  rifle  from  its  peg  over  his 
bed,  and,  walking  to  the  door,  peered  out  into  the  dark- 
ness. Then  he  crept  along  the  trail,  his  ears  ever  alert. 
The  men  seized  their  rifles  at  the  same  moment,  and  fol- 
lowed the  little  savage  to  guard  being  taken  by  surprise. 

All  around  the  rude  cabin  which  constituted  the 
station,  the  boss  had  taken  the  precaution,  when  he  first 
took  charge,  to  dig  a  trench  deep  enough  to  hide  a  man, 
to  be  used  as  a  rifle-pit  in  case  the  occasion  ever  offered. 

It  was  to  one  of  these  ditches  that  Little  Cayuse  betook 
himself,  and  the  men  followed  the  child's  example,  and 
took  up  a  position  on  either  side  of  him.  Lying  there 
without  speaking  a  word,  even  in  a  whisper,  the  deter- 
mined men  and  the  brave  little  Cayuse  waited  for  devel- 
opments. 

Soon  the  band  of  savage  horse-thieves  arrived  at  a  kind 
of  little  hollow  in  the  trail,  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile 
from  the  door  of  the  station.  They  got  off  their  animals 
and,  Indian-fashion,  commenced  to  crawl  toward  the  corral. 

On  they  came,  little  expecting  that  they  had  been  long 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  203 

since  discovered,  and  that  preparation  was  already  made 
for  their  reception.  One  of  them  came  so  near  the  men 
liidden  in  the  pit  that  the  boss  declared  he  could  have 
touched  him  with  his  rifle.  The  old  trapjjer  was  very 
much  disturbed  for  fear  that  Little  Cayuse  would  in  his 
childish  indiscretion  open  fire  before  the  proper  time 
arrived,  which  would  be  when  the  savages  had  entered 
the  cabin.  The  child,  however,  was  as  discreet  as  his 
elders,  and  although  it  was  his  initial  fight  with  the  wily 
nomads  of  the  desert,  he  acted  as  if  he  had  thirty  or  forty 
years  of  experience  to  back  him. 

The  band  numbered  six,  as  brave  and  determined  a  set 
of  cut-throats  as  the  great  Sioux  Nation  ever  sent  out. 
The  clouds  had  broken  apart  a  little,  and  the  defenders  of 
the  station  could  count  their  forms  as  they  appeared 
between  the  diffused  light  of  the  horizon  and  the  roof  of 
the  cabin. 

On  reaching  the  door  the  Indians  stopped  a  moment, 
and  with  their  customary  caution  listened  for  some  sound 
to  apprise  them  that  the  inmates  were  sleeping.  Sus- 
pecting this  to  be  the  case,  they  pushed  the  door  carefully 
open  and  entered  the  cabin,  one  after  another. 

Now  had  come  the  supreme  moment  which  the  boss  had 
so  patiently  hoped  for  I  Whipsaw  rose  to  his  feet,  and 
without  saying  a  word  to  them,  his  comrades,  including 
Little  Cayuse,  followed  him.  He  intended  to  charge 
upon  the  savages  in  the  cabin,  although  there  were  six  to 
three,  for  it  would  liardly  do  to  count  the  little  Pawnee 
in  as  a  man.  The  rider  who  had  been  waiting  for  the 
arrival  of  the  other  then  placed  his  rifle  on  the  ground, 
and  each  taking  their  revolvers,  two  apiece  in  their  hands, 
ready  cocked,  advanced  to  the  door. 

They  knew  that  the  fight  would  be  short  and  hot,  so 
with  the  Pawnee  between  them  they  arrived  at  the 
entrance.     Now   the    Sioux    evidently   heard    them,    and 


204  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE  TRAIL 

ciime  rushing  out,  but  it  was  too  late  I  The  Pony  Express 
men  opened  fire,  and  two  of  the  savages  bit  the  dust. 
They  returned  the  salute,  but  with  such  careless  aim  that 
their  shots  were  perfectly  harmless;  but  as  the  white  men 
fired  again,  two  more  of  the  savages  fell,  and  only  two 
Avere  left.  The  rider  got  a  shot  in  the  shoulder,  but  he 
kept  on  with  his  revolver  despite  his  pain,  while  the  boss, 
who  had  fired  all  his  shots,  was  compelled  to  throw  the 
empty  weapon  into  the  persistent  savage's  face,  while 
Little  Cayuse  kept  peppering  the  other  w4th  small  shot 
from  his  rifle. 

Then  the  Indian  at  whom  the  boss  had  throAvn  his 
revolver  came  at  him  with  his  knife,  and  was  getting  the 
best  of  it,  when  Little  Cayuse,  watching  his  chance,  got  up 
close  to  the  savage  who  was  about  to  finish  his  father,  and 
let  drive  into  the  brute's  side  a  charge  of  shot  that  made 
a  hole  as  big  as  a  water-bucket,  and  the  red  devil  fell  with- 
out knowing  what  had  hit  him. 

Both  of  the  men  were  weak  from  loss  of  blood,  and 
when  they  had  recovered  a  little,  not  far  away  in  the 
hollow  they  found  the  horses  the  savages  had  ridden  and 
that  of  the  express  rider,  all  together.  About  a  mile  far- 
ther down  the  trail  they  found  the  dead  body  of  the  rider, 
shot  through  the  head.  His  pony  still  had  on  the  saddle 
and  the  mail-pouch,  which  the  Indians  had  not  disturbed. 
In  the  morning  the  men  carried  the  remain^  of  the  un- 
fortunate rider  to  the  eal)in  and  buried  it  near  the  station, 
and  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  plucky  little  Pawnee,  there  would  have  been  no 
mourners  at  the  funeral. 

That  afternoon  the  men  dug  a  trench  into  which  they 
threw  the  dead  Indians  to  get  them  out  of  the  way,  but 
while  they  were  employed  in  the  thankless  work.  Little 
Cayuse  was  discovered  most  unmercifully  kicking  and 
clubbing  one  of  the  dead  warriors  ;  then  he  took  his  little 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  205 

rifle  and  cocking  it  emptied  its  contents  into  the  prostrate 
body. 

The  boss  then  took  the  weapon  away  from  him,  but  the 
bo}"  cried  out  to  him,  "  See  !  see  !  " 

Looking  down  closely  into  the  face  of  the  object  of  the 
boy's  wrath,  he  discovered  by  that  hideous  scar  the  fiend 
who  had  captured  Little  Cayuse  when  a  mere  baby,  the 
scar-faced  Sioux  from  whom  Whipsaw  had  purchased  the 
boy.i 

The  employees  of  the  Pony  Express  were  different  in 
character  from  the  ordinary  plainsmen  of  those  days. 
The  latter  as  a  class  were  usually  boisterous,  indulged  in 
profanity,  and  were  fond  of  whiskey.  Russell,  Majors,  & 
Waddell  were  God-fearing,  temperate  gentlemen  them- 
selves, and  tried  to  engage  no  man  who  did  not  come  up 
to  their  own  standard  of  morality. 

There  was  one  notable  exception  in  the  person  of  Jack 
Slade,  the  station-agent  at  Fort  Kearne}^  who  was  a  des- 
perado in  the  strictest  definition  of  the  term  ;  that  is,  he 
was  a  coward  at  heart,  as  all  of  his  class  are,  and  brave 
only  when  every  advantage  was  in  his  favour.  The  num- 
ber of  men  he  killed  in  cold  blood  would  probably  aggre- 
gate more  than  a  score.  One  of  his  most  damnable  acts 
was  the  killing  of  an  old  French-Canadian  trapper,  whose 
name  was  Jules  Bernard,  who  lived  on  a  ranch  on  the 
eastern  border  of  Colorado.  While  he  lived  there  he  got 
into  a  quarrel  with  Slade,  and  the  latter  swore  he  would 
kill  Jules  on  sight.  Slade  waited  five  years  for  his  op- 
portunity. The  story  is  told  by  an  eye-witness  as 
follows  :  ^  — 

1  Cy  Warman  vouches  for  this  story  in  his  Frontier  Stories.  Copy- 
right by  Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  1898. 

2  Kelated  to  Harriet  MacMurphy  (to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  this 
truthful  account)  by  Mrs.  Elton  Beckstead,  who  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
was  Jules'  wife  and  saw  her  husband  murdered. 


206  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  I  was  thirteen  years  old  when  Jules  married  me  and 
took  me  to  his  ranch  at  Cottonwood  Springs.  He  had 
three  log  buildings  side  by  side  ;  one  contained  our  pri- 
vate apartments,  one  was  the  store,  and  the  other  the 
kitchen  and  quarters  for  the  man  and  his  wife  who  ran 
the  ranch  for  us. 

"  Slade  was  a  Kentuckian,  a  very  quiet  man  when  sober, 
but  terribly  ugly  when  drinking.  He  came  to  our  store 
one  day  fearfully  drunk  and  swore  he  would  shoot  some 
d — d  Frenchman  before  night,  at  the  same  time  reaching 
for  his  pistol.  Jules  knew  what  he  meant  and  sprang  for 
his  shot-gun,  the  only  weapon  near ;  before  Slade  could 
bring  his  pistol  to  bear,  Jules  levelled  his  gun  and  shot 
him  in  the  stomach,  filling  it  full  of  fine  shot.  He  fell, 
and  Jules,  going  to  him,  said  he  would  take  him  to  Denver 
and  pay  all  his  doctor-bills  and  other  expenses  if  he  would 
shake  hands.  Slade  agreed  to  this,  and  Jules  hitched  up 
a  team,  hauled  him  clear  to  Denver,  and  paid  his  bills 
there  for  four  or  five  months.  He  came  near  dying. 
Jules  afterward  heard  that  when  Slade  got  well  and  left 
Denver,  he  had  sworn  he  would  shoot  him  the  first  time 
they  met ;  so  Jules  was  always  ready  for  him. 

"  One  morning  long  after  this  Jules  started  for  his  old 
ranch  to  get  some  horses  and  cattle  that  had  been  left 
there.  He  had  to  pass  by  Slade's  place,  and  knowing 
that  Slade  had  sworn  to  kill  him,  he  took  along  a  French- 
man living  with  us,  called  Pete  Gazzous,  and  an  American 
named  Smith.  They  rode  in  a  light  wagon,  and  as  they 
were  all  armed  with  rifles,  pistols,  and  knives,  Jules 
thought  he  was  well  prepared  to  defend  himself. 

"  They  watched  very  close  until  they  got  past  Slade's 
ranch,  but  saw  no  signs  of  any  one.  They  stopped  at  a 
spring  a  mile  or  two  beyond  to  water  their  horses,  and  as 
Jules  was  stooping  down  to  get  a  drink,  a  shot  struck  him 
in  the  leg  and  broke  it  just  above  the  tnee.     He  called  to 


THE  PONY   EXPRESS  207 

Smith  to  unharness  the  horses,  bring  him  one,  and  help 
hiin  on  so  that  they  could  get  away  ;  but  the  crowd  was  so 
frightened  they  could  not  stir,  and  in  a  few  moments  they 
were  surrounded  by  Slade  and  his  band  of  twenty-five 
men. 

"  They  carried  Jules  to  the  ranch,  and  tied  him  up  to  a 
dry-goods  box.  Slade  shot  at  him  for  a  while,  aiming  as 
near  as  he  could  without  hitting  him,  finally  shooting  off 
one  of  his  ears  ;  and  then  he  ordered  his  twenty-five  men 
to  empty  the  contents  of  their  revolvers  into  him.  They 
then  threw  his  body  into  a  hole  which  they  dug. 

"  The  next  day  a  lot  of  Slade's  men  came  and  took  away 
all  the  goods  in  the  trading-post ;  they  left  me  about  six 
hundred  dollars.  They  got  three  thousand  dollars  that 
Jules  had  when  he  left,  and  they  got  the  stock,  I  suppose. 
I  never  heard  anything  about  them.  They  said  afterward 
that  Jules  had  money  in  the  bank,  but  we  could  not  find 
any  bank-book,  and  if  he  had  one  it  was  probably  on  his 
person.  I  was  just  a  child  and  did  not  know  what  to  do. 
In  a  day  or  two  a  man  came  along  who  lived  on  a  ranch 
farther  west ;  he  was  going  to  Denver  for  goods  ;  he  took 
me,  the  man,  and  woman  with  him  to  Denver."^ 

Slade  eventually  drifted  into  Montana,  and  in  1865 
was  hanged  by  the  vigilantes  on  suspicion  of  being  the 
leader  of  a  band  of  road  agents. 

He  was  living  on  a  ranch  near  A^irginia  City  at  the 
time,  and  every  few  days  came  into  town  outrageously 
drunk,  alarming  the  people  by  shooting  through  the 
streets,  riding  into  saloons,  and  proclaiming  himself  to  be 
the  veritable  "Bad  man  from  Bitter  Creek." 

The  belief  that  he  was  connected  with  matters  worse 
than  bad  whiskey  had  overstrained  the  patience  of   the 

1  The  child-wife  does  not  tell  (perhaps  never  knew)  that  Slade  nailed 
one  of  her  husband's  ears  to  the  door  of  the  Pony  Express  station,  and 
wore  the  other  for  several  weeks  as  a  watch-charm. 


208  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TKAIL 

long-suffering  citizens.  Soon  the  suggestive  and  myste- 
rious triangular  little  pieces  of  paper  dropped  upon  the 
sidewalks  of  the  town,  surmounted  with  the  skull  and 
cross-bones,  called  the  vigilantes  to  a  meeting  at  which 
the  death  of  Slade  and  two  of  his  companions  was  deter- 
mined upon.  The  next  morning  following  the  evening  of 
the  meeting,  Slade  came  to  town  with  his  two  men,  actually 
sober,  and  went  into  a  drug-store  for  a  prescription. 
Wliile  waiting  for  his  preparation,  twelve  shotguns  sud- 
denly covered  them,  and  they  were  ordered  to  throw  up 
their  hands.  Slade  complied  smilingly,  but  proposed  to 
reason  with  them  as  to  the  absurdity  of  taking  him  for  a 
bad  man. 

The  only  concession  granted,  however,  was  permission 
to  send  a  note  to  his  wife  at  the  ranch,  and  an  hour 
allowed  to  make  his  peace  with  the  unknown. 

Ropes  were  placed  around  the  necks  of  the  three  men, 
who  at  the  end  of  the  allotted  time  were  given  short  shrift 
and  were  soon  hanging  between  heaven  and  earth.  While 
their  bodies  were  swaying  in  the  breeze,  Slade's  wife 
suddenly  appeared  mounted  on  a  fine  horse,  with  a  cocked 
pistol  in  each  hand,  determined  to  attempt  a  rescue.  On 
observing  that  it  was  too  late,  she  quailed  before  the 
determined  countenances  of  the  vigilantes.  She  soon  left 
the  scene  of  the  lynching,  and  in  a  short  time  moved  out 
of  the  country,  carrying  with  her,  as  it  was  believed,  a 
large  amount  of  the  proceeds  of  her  husband's  robberies. 

In  the  winter  of  1860  Mr.  Edward  Creighton,  who  had 
for  many  years  been  engaged  in  constructing  telegraph 
lines  all  over  the  United  States,  determined  to  inaugurate 
a  pet  project  he  had  entertained  for  a  long  time,  to  build 
one  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 

In  the  year  above  referred  to,  he  had  many  consulta- 
tions with  the  stockholders  of  the  Western  Union,  the 
result  of  which  was  that  a  preliminary  survey  was  decided 


THE   PONY    EXPRESS  209 

upon.  Notwithstanding  that  travelling  by  the  Overland 
coach  was  beset  with  great  danger  from  attacks  by  road 
agents  and  Indians,  JNIr.  Creighton  was  compelled  to 
cross  the  continent  by  the  only  means  of  transportation ; 
and,  stopping  at  Salt  Lake  City,  he  excited  the  interest 
and  enlisted  the  support  of  the  great  head  of  the  Mormon 
Church. 

It  had  been  arranged  to  invite  the  association  of  the 
California  Telegraph  Company  in  the  enterprise,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  terrors  of  a  midwinter  joui-ney,  Mr. 
Creighton  pressed  on  on  horseback  for  Sacramento.  It  was 
a  fearful  trip,  but  the  man  who  made  it  was  stout  of  heart 
and  he  braved  the  rigours  of  the  mountains,  accomplished 
his  mission,  and  in  the  spring  of  1861  returned  to  Omaha 
to  commence  the  great  work.  The  United  States,  mean- 
while, had  granted  a  subsidy  of  forty  thousand  dollars  a 
year  to  the  first  compan}^  who  should  build  a  line  across 
the  continent.  It  may  well  be  imagined  that  a  great  race 
was  immediately  inaugurated  for  heavy  wagers,  between 
Mr.  Creighton's  force  and  that  of  the  Californians,  who 
were  building  eastwardly,  each  party  trying  to  reach  Salt 
Lake  City  before  the  other. 

Mr.  Creighton  had  eleven  hundred  miles  to  construct, 
while  the  California  company's  distance  from  the  objec- 
tive point  was  only  four  hundred  and  fifty;  yet  the  in- 
defatigable Mr.  Creighton  reached  Salt  Lake  City  with 
his  completed  line  on  the  17th  of  October,  one  week  ahead 
of  his  competitors. 

On  the  24th  of  the  same  month,  but  a  little  more  than 
half  a  year  after  its  commencement,  Mr.  Creighton  had 
established  telegraphic  communication  from  ocean  to  ocean. 
For  his  remuneration  he  took  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars worth  of  the  stock  of  the  new  enterprise  at  about 
eighteen  cents  on  the  dollar.  When  the  project  was  com- 
pleted, the  company  trebled  its  amount  of  shares  and  Mr. 


210 


THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 


Creighton's  one  Imndred  thousand  dollars  immediately  en- 
hanced to  three  hundred  thousand.  The  stock  at  once 
rose  to  the  value  of  eighty-five  cents,  and  lie  sold  out  his 
original  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand,  still  retaining  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  stock. ^ 

With  the  completion  of  the  telegraph  across  the  conti- 
nent all  the  important  news  could  be  flashed  from  ocean 
to  ocean  in  a  few  seconds,  so  the  Pony  Express  ceased  to 
be  necessary  ;  the  great  Concord  coach,  too,  was  limited  to 
the  mere  transportation  of  passengers  and  express  matter. 
It  was  the  avant  courier  of  more  rapid  transit  b}^  the  pala- 
tial trains  of  the  magnificent  Union  Pacific  system  which 
shod  the  old  trail  with  steel,  though  at  the  beginning  of 
the  era  of  the  Overland  Stage  such  a  railroad  was  regarded 
as  an  idle  dream. 

1  Mr.  Creighton  died  of  paralysis  in  1874,  and  his  widow  endowed  a 
college  named  for  him. 


Pofiy3ob. 


CHAPTER   IX 

DISCOVERY    OF    GOLD    NEAR   PIKe's    PEAK EXODUS    FROM    MIS- 
SOURI  THE    CREATIOISr    OF    THE   OVERLAND    STAGE   ROUTE   TO 

THE   PACIFIC  COAST MESSRS.   RUSSELL  AND   JONEs'  FAILURE 

RUSSELL,  MAJORS,  &  WADDELl's  SUCCESSFUL  ESTABLISH- 
MENT OF  A  NEW  LINE HOCKADAY  AND  LIGGETT's  "  ONE- 
HORSE "      AFFAIR ADVENT      OF      THE      FIRST      STAGE-COACH 

INTO    DENVER FINANCIAL     EMBARRASSMENT BEN     HOLLI- 

DAY DESCRIPTION      OF      THE      OUTFIT      OF      THE      ROUTE 

INCIDENTS    AND    ADVENTURES 


HE  excitement  caused  in  1858 
by  the  alleged  discovery  of 
gold  in  the  vicinity  of  Pike's 
Peak  created  a  fever  among 
the  people  of  the  United 
States,  and  there  was  a 
mighty  exodns  from  every- 
where east  of  the  Missouri, 
similar  to  that  to  the  Alas- 
kan regions  to-day. 

The  Missouri  River  was 
at  that  time  the  western  ter- 
minal of  the  few  railroads 
then  in  existence,  and  there 
was  very  little  probability  that  they  would  make  farther 
progress  toward  the  setting  sun.  The  individual  who  had 
determined  to  start  for  the  new,  but  delusive,  western 
mountainous  El  Dorado,  must  perforce  make  his  weari- 
some journey  by  slowly  plodding  ox-teams,  pack-mules, 
or  the  lumbering  stage-coach. 

211 


p^^V'^2l,fj^:^^, 


?, 

/'/ 


Such  means  of  travel  had 


212  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

just  been  inaugurated  by  ]\Ir.  W.  II.  Kussell  (then  the 
senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell) 
and  a  Mr.  John  S.  Jones  of  ^Missouri,  who  conceived  the 
idea  of  putting  on  a  line  of  coaches  between  the  Missouri 
River  and  Denver  —  the  latter  place  a  mere  mushroom 
hamlet,  just  struggling  into  existence,  and  whose  future 
as  yet  no  man  could  predict  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

It  was  a  bold  undertaking,  for  they  had  to  purchase  all 
their  e(|uipage  on  credit,  giving  their  notes  payable  in 
three  months.  One  thousand  large  Kentucky  mules  were 
bought,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  coaches  to  supply  the 
proposed  route  with  a  daily  line  each  way. 

There  was  already  a  semi-monthly  line  operated  by 
Messrs.  Hockaday  and  Liggett,  running  from  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  to  Salt  Lake  City.  This  line  was  poorly  ap- 
pointed. It  consisted  of  a  limited  number  of  light,  cheap 
vehicles,  with  but  few  animals  to  draw  them.  The  same 
team  was  used  for  hundreds  of  miles,  as  no  stations  had 
been  established  on  the  long  route.  The  teams  were 
turned  out  to  graze,  and  were  obliged  to  stop  often  for 
that  purpose.  It  sometimes  required  twenty-one  days  to 
make  the  trip  from  St.  Joseph  to  Salt  Lake. 

Under  the  new  regime  of  Russell  &  Jones,  the  coaches 
made  their  daily  trips  in  six  days  to  Denver,  travelling 
about  one  hundred  miles  every  twenty-four  hours.  The 
first  stage  arrived  in  Denver  on  the  17th  of  May,  1859,  and 
its  advent  was  regarded  as  a  great  success  by  those  who 
knew  nothing  of  the  immense  expense  attending  the  enter- 
prise. When  the  ninety-day  notes  given  in  payment  for 
the  outfit  of  the  new  route  became  due,  the  money  was 
not  forthcoming,  and  it  became  necessary  for  the  wealthy 
firm  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell  ^  to  meet  the  outstand- 

1  Major  John  Burke  thus  briefly  in  a  biographical  sketch  of  these  men 
tells  of  their  antecedents  :  "  Russell  was  a  Green  Mountain  boy,  who  be- 
fore his  majority  had  gone  West  to  grow  up  with  the  country,  and  after 


THE   STAGE    KUUTE   TO   THE   TAUii' iC  'Ji'd 

ing  obligations  of  the  delinquent  Russell  &  Jones.  To 
suve  the  credit  of  their  senior  partner  the  firm  had  to  pay 
the  debts  of  the  defunct  concern,  and  take  possession  of 
all  the  mules,  coaches,  and  other  belongings  of  the  stage- 
line  to  secure  themselves  for  the  amount  they  had  advanced 
in  establishing  the  Denver  route. 

In  a  few  months  the  firm  bought  out  the  semi-monthly 
line  of  Hockaday  and  Liggett,  believing  that  by  uniting  the 
two  companies  the  business  might  be  brought  up  to  a  pay- 
ing standard,  at  least  meet  the  expenses  if  nothing  more. 

As  soon  as  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell  took  hold  of  the 
line,  the  time  between  St.  Joseph  and  Salt  Lake,  a  dis- 
tance of  twelve  hundred  miles,  Avas  reduced  to  ten  da3's. 
The  coach  ra]i  daily  both  ways,  and  stations  were  estab- 
lished at  distances  varying  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  along 
the  whole  route. 

The  original  trail  ran  up  the  valley  of  the  Smoky  Hill,  or 
the  Smoky  Hill  Fork  of  the  Republican,^  but  was  shortly 
after  changed  to  the  valley  of  the  Platte,  and  starting  from 
St.  Joseph,^  went  on  to  Fort  Kearney,  thence  following  the 
river  to  Julesburg,  where  it  crossed  the  stream.  From 
there  to  Fort  Laramie,  to  Fort  Bridger,  thence  to  Salt 
Lake,  through  Camp  Floyd,  Ruby  Valle}^  Carson  City, 
Placerville,  and  Folsom  to  Sacramento.^ 

teaching  a  three  months'  school  on  the  frontier  of  Missoui-i,  hired  himself 
to  an  old  merchant  of  Lexington  at  thirty  dollars  to  keep  books.  .  .  . 
Alexander  Majors  was  a  son  of  Kentucky  frontier  mountain  parentage,  his 
father  a  colleague  and  friend  of  Daniel  Boone.  William  Waddell,  of  Vir- 
ginian ancestry,  emigrants  to  the  Blue  Grass  region  of  the  same  state  as 
Majors,  was  bold  enough  for  any  enterprise,  and  able  to  fill  any  niche 
the  West  demanded." 

1  This  stream  was  named  by  Fremont  on  his  second  expedition  of  ex- 
ploration to  the  regions  of  the  then  unknown  "  Far  West." 

2  The  initial  starting-point  of  the  stage  line  was  Leavenworth,  on  the 
Missouri,  but  after  a  few  months  it  was  changed  to  Atchison. 

3  This  was  the  route  of  the  Pony  Express  which  was  inaugurated  some 
years  afterward. 


214  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

The  old-line  coach  was  a  grand  swinging  and  swaying 
vehicle,  an  imposing  cradle  on  wheels,  and  hung  on 
thorouglibraces  instead  of  springs.  It  was  drawn  by  six 
handsome  horses  or  mules,  which  were  changed  every  ten 
miles  on  the  average  ;  and  they  fairly  flew  over  the  level 
road.  Baggage  was  limited  to  twenty-five  pounds,  which, 
with  the  care  of  the  passengers,  mail,  and  express,  was  in 
charge  of  the  conductor,  w^ho  was  the  legitimate  captain 
of  the  strange  craft  in  its  long  journey  across  the  conti- 
nent. He  sat  beside  the  driver  on  the  box,  and  both  of 
them  used  to  sleep  in  their  places  thirty  or  forty  minutes 
at  a  time,  while  spinning  along  on  good  roads  at  the  rate 
of  eight  or  ten  miles  an  hour. 

Over  each  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  road  an  agent 
was  installed,  and  was  invested  with  great  authority. 
His  geographical  jurisdiction  was  known  as  a  "  division," 
and  his  duty  consisted  in  purchasing  horses,  mules,  har- 
ness, and  the  food  for  both  men  and  animals.  He  distrib- 
uted these  things  at  the  different  stage-stations  when, 
according  to  his  judgment,  they  needed  them.  He  also 
had  charge  of  the  erection  of  all  buildings  and  the  water- 
supply,  usually  wells.  He  also  paid  the  station-keepers, 
hostlers,  drivers,  and  blacksmiths,  and  he  engaged  and 
discharged  whomsoever  he  pleased;  in  fact,  he  was  a  great 
man  in  his  division,  and  generally  a  man  of  more  than 
average  intelligence. 

The  conductor's  tour  of  duty  was  about  the  same  length 
as  the  agent's,  or  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  He 
sat  with  the  driver,  and  often,  when  necessary,  rode  that 
great  distance  all  night  and  all  day  without  other  rest  or 
sleep  than  that  he  could  obtain  while  in  his  seat  on  top  of 
the  flying  coach.  Drivers  went  back  over  the  same 
route  —  over  exactly  the  same  length  of  road,  and  naturally 
became  so  familiar  with  it  that  the  darkest  night  had  no 
terrors  for  them. 


THE   STAGE    ROUTE   TO   THE    PACIFIC  215 

The  distance  from  St.  Joseph  to  Sacramento  by  the 
stage-coach  route  was  nearly  nineteen  hundred  miles.  The 
trip  was  often  made  in  fifteen  days,  but  the  time  specified 
by  the  mail  contracts,  and  required  by  the  government 
schedule,  was  limited  to  nineteen  days.  This  was  to  give 
ample  allowance  for  possible  winter  storms  and  snows,  or 
other  causes  of  detention. 

The  stage  company  had  everything  in  their  charge  under 
the  most  rigid  discipline,  and  the  system  was  as  nearly 
perfect  as  possible. 

The  enterprise,  financially,  was  a  losing  one  for  the  great 
firm  which  organized  and  operated  it,  the  entire  expense 
exceeding  the  receipts  by  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
dollars.  Messrs.  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell,  however, 
continued  its  operation  until  March,  1862,  when  the  whole 
concern  was  transferred  to  Ben  Holliday.^ 

When  HoUiday  took  charge,  the  United  States  mail  was 
given  to  it  and  immediately  the  line  became  a  paying 
institution.  The  government  expended,  in  quarterly  pay- 
ments, eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  trans- 
porting the  mails  from  the  Missouri  River  to  San  Francisco. 

It  was  very  fortunate  for  the  government  and  the 
people  generally  that  the  stage-line  was  organized  at  the 
time  it  was,  and  kept  in  such  perfect  condition  on  the 
Middle  Route,  as  it  was  called,  when  the  Civil  War  com- 
menced, for  it  would  have  been  impossible  to   trans23ort 

^  Ben  Holliday  was  one  of  those  wonderful  characters  developed  by  a 
life  of  adventure  and  danger,  having  been  nurtured  amid  the  most  start- 
ling incidents  of  the  frontier.  He  was  born  near  the  old  Blue  Lick  battle- 
field. At  seventeen  he  was  Colonel  Doniphan's  courier.  Wlien  only 
twenty-eight  years  old  he  entered  Salt  Lake  Valley  with  fifty  wagon- 
loads  of  goods,  and  was  endorsed  by  Brigham  Young  as  being  worthy  of 
the  confidence  of  his  people.  Ten  years  later  he  was  the  head  of  the 
Overland  Route;  at  forty-five  the  owner  of  sixteen  steamers  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  with  an  immense  trade  to  Central  America,  China,  and 
Japan, 


216  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

mails  on  the  Soutlieru  Uoute,  previously  patronized  by  the 
government.  This  route  ran  from  San  Francisco  via 
Los  Angeles,  El  Paso,  and  Fort  Smith  to  St.  Louis,  and 
the  Confederate  government  would  not  have  allowed  it  to 
run  through  that  portion  of  their  country  during  the  war. 

DuriiiQ-  the  war  there  was  a  vast  amount  of  business, 
both  ill  mail,  express,  and  passengers,  as  it  was  the  only 
practicable  line  between  California  and  the  great  states 
east  of  the  Missouri  River. 

Under  the  indefatigable  Ben  Holliday  his  stage-coaches 
penetrated  every  considerable  mining  camp  in  the  moun- 
tains, and  as  the  government  would  not,  or  could  not,  es- 
tablish post-offices  at  these  remote  points,  the  stage 
company  became  their  own  postmasters.  Tliey  conveyed 
letters  in  their  own  official  envelopes,  first  placing  thereon 
a  United  States  stamp.  Twenty-hve  cents  was  charged 
for  every  letter,  consequently  the  revenue  from  this  source 
was  enormous. 

Occasionally  on  the  remote  plains,  or  in  the  fastnesses 
of  the  mountains,  the  proprietor  of  a  little  store,  where  he 
kept  a  heterogeneous  assortment  of  such  goods  as  were  re- 
quired by  the  hardy  miners,  would  constitute  himself  the 
postmaster.  Of  course  he  charged  exorbitant  rates  for 
the  transmission  of  the  mail  to  the  nearest  regular  station. 
It  is  recorded  of  one  of  these  self-appointed  officials  that, 
although  he  transported  the  mail  but  once  a  month,  he 
still  charged  twenty -five  cents  for  each  letter.  He  used 
an  empty  barrel  for  the  reception  of  mail.  He  cut  a  hole 
in  the  top,  and  posted  above  it  the  following  suggestive 
warning  to  all  who  sent  letters  from  his  place :  "  This  is 
the  Post-Office.  Shove  a  quarter  through  the  hole  with 
your  letter.  We  have  no  use  for  stamps  as  I  carry  the 
mail." 

The  business  of  the  old  line  coach  increased  with 
startling  rapidity.     It  aggregated  an  enormous  sum  every 


THE   STAGE    ROUTE   TO   THE   PACIFIC  217 

year.  For  carrying  the  mails  alone  over  the  whole  route, 
the  government  paid  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars. 

The  drivers  of  the  Overland  coaches  received  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a 
month,  and  their  keep.  Their  wages  were  graduated  by 
their  ability  and  length  of  service.  Such  large  salaries 
were  paid  because  of  the  great  risk  run  by  the  brave  men, 
for  their  duty  was  a  continuously  hazardous  one. 

All  classes  of  men  were  to  be  found  among  these  drivers, 
from  the  graduate  of  Yale  and  Harvard  to  the  desperado 
deep-dyed  in  his  villainy.  The  latter  sometimes  enlisted 
in  the  work  for  the  sole  purpose  of  robbery.  The  stage 
with  its  valuable  load  of  riches  and  the  wealth  of  its 
passengers  excited  his  cupidity. 

It  is  told  in  the  annals  of  those  troublous  times  on  the 
Old  Trail,  how  once,  in  July,  1865,  a  coach  loaded  with 
seven  passengers  and  an  immense  amount  of  gold  bullion 
and  other  treasure  was  sacrificed  to  these  robbers.  The 
passengers  were  all  frontier  men,  well  used  to  the  contin- 
gencies of  that  trying  era ;  they  were  also  aware  of  the 
strong  probability  of  the  coach  being  attacked  before  it 
reached  its  destination,  and  were  prepared  to  repel  any 
premeditated  attemj^t  of  that  character.  All  were  fully 
armed,  principally  Avith  double-barrelled  guns  loaded  with 
twenty-six  buckshot,  a  formidable  charge  with  which  to 
plug  a  man.  They  were  determined  that  their  hard- 
earned  wealth  should  not  be  taken  from  them  without  a 
struggle.  They  watched  in  turns  for  the  first  demon- 
stration of  the  road  agents,  having  made  up  their  minds 
to  get  the  first  crack  at  the  thieves. 

The  driver  was  known  as  Frank  Williams,  and  the  man 
who  occupied  the  post  of  honour,  sitting  at  his  right  on  the 
box,  was  one  of  the  would-be  robbers.  On  arriving  at  a 
very  lonely  spot  on  the  trail,  this  individual  on  top  cried 


218  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

out  that  the  robbers  were  upon  them,  and  a  hurried  shot 
was  fired  from  tlie  outside.  At  the  same  moment  the 
men  inside  discharged  their  pieces.  A  regular  volley  was 
then  shot  at  the  passengers  from  an  ambush  alongside  the 
trail,  four  fell  dead,  another  was  severely  wounded  in 
three  places,  and  one  saved  his  life  by  lying  perfectly 
still  and  feigning  death  as  the  thieves  emerged  from  the 
brush  to  lire  a  second  time.  One  of  the  other  passengers 
was  mortally  wounded  and  the  other  escaped  uninjured 
by  secreting  himself  in  the  brush  which  fringed  the  trail. 

It  seems  that  the  driver  had  purposely  engaged  in  the 
service  of  the  company  for  just  such  an  opportunity  as 
this,  and  he  deliberately  drove  his  coach  into  this  seques- 
tered spot  where  the  robbers  were  to  attack  it  by  ap- 
pointment. It  is  alleged  that  he  received  his  share  of 
the  spoils,  and  then  left  the  service  incontinently.  His 
ill-gotten  wealth,  however,  did  him  very  little  good;  for 
he  was  tracked  to  Denver,  and  hanged  with  that  sudden 
promptness  for  which  "  Judge  Lynch's  Court "  is  noted, 
a  court  that  brooks  no  delay  in  the  execution  of  its  deci- 
sions, and  from  which  there  is  no  appeal. 

Over  seventy  thousand  dollars  was  the  harvest  of  this 
raid,  but  none  of  the  robbers  were  ever  caught  excepting 
the  driver,  upon  whom,  as  stated,  a  Avell-merited  punish- 
ment was  inflicted. 

During  the  Civil  War  his  route  passed  through  the  Sioux 
country,  a  tribe  that  was  at  war  Avith  the  whites,  and  as 
there  were  not  enough  troops  to  protect  the  line,  it  was 
changed  from  South  Pass  to  Bridger's  Pass  on  the  Bitter 
Creek  route,  or  as  it  was  then  known,  "The  Cherokee 
Trail." 

The  mail-line  was  often  attacked  by  Indians,  who  killed 
the  employees  and  passengers,  robbed  and  burnt  the  sta- 
tions, and  stole  the  stock. 

Early  in  the  year   1862  the  Indians  made  continuous 


THE   STAGE   llOUTE   TO   THE   PACIl'lU  219 

raids  on  the  coaches  and  stations  between  Fort  Laramie 
and  the  South  Pass.  In  April  of  that  year  a  terrible  bat- 
tle occurred  between  the  mail-stage  and  the  Indians  on 
the  Sweetwater  River  near  Split  Rock,  or  Devil's  Creek. 
The  white  party  consisted  of  nine  men  with  two  coaches 
loaded  with  mail.  They  were  in  charge  of  Lem  Flowers, 
the  division  agent,  and  Jimmie  Brown,  the  conductor. 
The  Indians  began  the  attack  at  early  dawn  and  the  white 
men  were  so  harassed  that  they  were  compelled  to  run  the 
two  coaches  alongside  of  each  other,  pile  the  mail-sacks 
between  the  Avheels,  and  throw  sand  over  them  for  breast- 
works. From  this  barricade  they  fought  the  savages  the 
whole  day,  but  they  lost  all  the  stock,  and  six  of  the  men 
were  wounded.  Several  Indians  were  killed  during  the 
fight,  and  when  night  came  on  they  withdrew.  Under 
cover  of  the  darkness  the  men  took  the  front  wheels  of  the 
running-gear  of  the  coaches,  put  the  wounded  upon  them, 
and,  drawing  it  themselves,  made  their  escape  to  the  sta- 
tion of  the  Three  Crossings  of  the  Sweetwater  River. 

One  of  the  employees  who  passed  over  the  route  shortly 
after  the  fight  and  visited  the  scene  of  the  battle  in  com- 
pany with  the  notorious  Slade,  who  was  then  division 
agent,  says  :  "  The  coaches  were  still  standing  as  they 
were  placed  by  the  party  in  the  fight,  completely  riddled 
with  bullets  and  arrows.  Every  vestige  of  leather  straps 
and  cushions  was  stripped  off,  the  mail-sacks  cut  open, 
their  contents  thrown  out,  and  the  sacks  themselves  carried 
off.  Valuable  letters,  drafts,  and  bills  for  large  amounts 
were  scattered  all  over  the  ground.  This  mail  was  gath- 
ered up  by  the  employees,  put  in  gunny  sacks,  hauled  to 
Julesburg,  and  from  there  forwarded  to  the  Post-Office 
Department  at  Washington." 

Another  memorable  raid  was  made  by  the  savages  on 
the  old  line  mail-route  on  Sunday,  the  7th  of  August,  1864. 
It  was  a  simultaneous  attack  on  that  portion  of  the  line 


220  THE    GKEAT    SALT    LAKli    TRAIL 

extending  over  two  hundred  miles  from  Julesburg  east- 
wardly  to  Liberty  Farm,  at  tlie  head  of  the  Little  Blue 
River.  The  mail-coaches,  the  stations,  travelling  freight 
caravans,  ranches,  and  parties  putting  up  hay  were  alike 
attacked.  Forty  people  were  killed,  many  ranches  and 
trains  burned,  much  stock  and  other  pro2:)erty  stolen  and 
destroyed  in  that  eventful  raid. 

At  last  the  raids  of  the  savages  along  the  North  Platte 
had  become  so  frequent,  and  the  duty  so  hazardous,  that 
it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  Overland  Stage  Company 
to  find  drivers,  although  the  highest  wages  were  offered. 
At  this  juncture  W.F.  Cody  decided  to  turn  stage-driver 
and  his  services  were  gladly  accepted. 

While  driving  a  stage  between  Split  Rock  and  Three 
Crossings,  he  was  set  upon  by  a  band  of  several  hundred 
Sioux.  Lieutenant  Flowers,  assistant  division  agent,  sat 
on  the  box  beside  Cody,  and  there  were  half  a  dozen  j)as- 
sengers  well  armed  inside.  Cody  gave  the  reins  to 
Flowers,  applied  the  whip,  and  the  passengers  defended 
the  stage  in  a  running  fight.  Arrows  fell  around  and 
struck  the  stage  like  hail,  wounding  the  horses  and  dealing 
destruction  generally,  for  two  of  the  passengers  were  killed 
and  Flowers  badly  wounded.  Cody  seized  the  whip  from 
the  wounded  officer,  applied  it  savagely,  shouting  defiance, 
and  drove  on  to  Three  Crossings,  thus  saving  the  stage. 

The  only  period  when  the  long  route  up  the  Platte  Val- 
ley enjoyed  an  immunity  from  the  continuous  trouble  with 
the  savages,  before  the  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  was  when  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston's 
army,  in  1857,  had  been  mobilized  for  the  impending 
Mormon  war.  More  than  five  thousand  regular  sol- 
diers,  with  its  large  commissary  trains  and  their  comple- 
ment of  teamsters,  all  well  armed,  together  with  batteries 
of  artillery,  in  passing  through  the  country  so  intimidated 
the  Indians,  who  had  never  before  seen  such  an  array  of 


THE   STAGE    ROUTE   TO   THE   PACIFIC  221 

their  enemies,  tliat  they  remained  at  a  respectful  distance 
from  tlie  trail. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  the  Indians  seemed  more  deter- 
mined than  ever  to  wage  a  relentless  war  along  the  line 
of  the  Overland  Stage. 

A  regular  army  officer  in  his  journal  says  :  — 

"  During  the  time  when  we  were  guarding  Ben  Holi- 
day's stage-coaches,  and  when  attacks  on  them  were  of 
frequent  occurrence,  I  had  an  adventure  wliich  I  think  is 
worth  relating. 

"  I  was  out  at  one  of  the  lower  ranches,  and  the  Indians 
were  very  troublesome.  Our  guards  were  nearly  all  sick 
or  wounded,  and  the  coaches  had  to  go  out  insufficiently 
protected. 

"  One  evening  the  coach  was  late,  and,  as  to  be  behind 
time  was  a  sure  sign  that  something  was  wrong,  we  all 
felt  very  uneasy.  The  drivers  made  it  a  rule  to  get  from 
one  station  to  another  on  time,  and  if  they  did  not  arrive, 
parties  were  immediately  started  out  to  the  next  ranch, 
ten  miles  below,  to  see  what  the  matter  was,  the  stations 
being  eiglit,  ten,  and  twelve  miles  apart. 

"  On  the  particular  evening  in  question  I  had  got  tired 
of  waiting,  and  gone  over  to  the  stable-keeper  to  see  if  we 
had  not  better  take  the  change  horses,  go  down  the  road, 
and  try  if  we  could  not  find  the  coach.  It  was  due  at  the 
station  at  eight-thirty  in  the  evening,  and  it  was  now  ten, 
so  I  was  confident  it  had  been  attacked  or  broken  down. 
While  we  were  talking,  the  sentinel  on  the  outpost,  whose 
business  it  was  to  look  out  for  the  stage  and  give  notice 
of  its  approach,  signalled  that  the  coach  was  coming.  We 
all  ran  down  the  road  to  meet  it,  and  soon  saw  it  coming 
slowly  along  with  three  horses  instead  of  four,  and  the 
driver  driving  very  slowly,  as  if  he  were  going  to  a  funeral, 
or  hauling  wounded. 

"  When  we  came  up  to  the  coach  we  learned  that  he 


222  THE   GKEAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

was  indeed  both  conveying  a  corpse  and  wounded.  On 
the  arrival  of  the  party  at  the  ranch,  Captain  Hancock, 
who  was  a  passenger,  related  to  nie  all  that  had  liappened, 
and  I  re[)eat  the  story  as  it  fell  from  his  lips. 

"'We  were,'  said  the  captain,  'driving  along  smartly  in 
the  bottom,  about  four  miles  below,  when,  just  as  we  crossed 
a  little  ravine,  some  twenty  Indians  jumped  out  of  the 
long  grass  and  fired  on  us.  The  first  volley  killed  Mr. 
Cinnamon,  a  telegraph  operator,  who  was  a  i)assenger, 
on  his  way  from  Plum  Creek  to  some  point  up  tlie  river. 
He  was  riding  on  the  box  with  the  driver  when  he  re- 
ceived the  fatal  shot,  and  the  driver  caught  his  body  just 
as  it  was  fallinsf  forward  off  the  coach  on  the  rear  horses. 
He  put  Cinnamon's  corpse  in  the  front  boot  among  the 
mail  bags,  where  it  now  is. 

'"The  first  fire  had  also  killed  our  nigh  wheeler,  and,  as 
the  coach  was  going  pretty  fast  at  the  time,  the  horse  was 
dragged  a  considerable  distance,  and  his  hind  leg  becom- 
ing fast  between  the  spokes  of  the  fore  wlieel,  his  body  was 
drawn  up  against  the  bed  of  the  coach  and  all  further  prog- 
ress completely  blocked. 

'"The  driver  took  it  very  coolly,  first  swearing  fearfully 
at  the  Indians,  toward  whom  he  cracked  his  whip  re- 
peatedly, as  if  flaying  their  naked  backs,  and  then,  having 
vented  his  spleen,  he  quietly  descended  from  his  box  and 
stripped  the  harness  off  the  dead  horse. 

"' Mean  while  the  Indians  had  been  circling  around  us, 
firing  into  the  coach  every  few  minutes,  and  I  had  got 
under  the  wagon  with  my  clerks,  the  better  to  be  pro- 
tected and  to  fire  at  the  Indians,  who  could  be  seen  best 
from  the  ground  as  they  moved  against  the  horizon. 

" '  The  driver  tried  in  vain  to  extricate  the  leg  of  the 
dead  horse  from  the  wheel,  but  it  was  firmly  wedged  in, 
and  after  uniting  my  strength  to  his,  I  found  it  necessary 
to  take  my  knife  and  amputate  the  leg  at  the  knee-joint. 


THE   STAGE   ROUTE   TO   THE   PACIFIC  223 

The  body  was  at  length  removed,  and  mounting  the  box, 
the  driver  bid  us  get  in,  and  we  were  off  once  more.  One 
of  the  clerks  had  been  severely  wounded,  and,  as  his 
wound  was  quite  painful,  we  had  to  drive  very  slowly;  so 
we  were  late  in  getting  in.' 

"  While  the  captain  was  talking,  the  driver  came  to  the 
door  to  say  the  coach  was  waiting,  for  on  the  Plains  stages 
stop  not  for  accidents  or  dead  men.  I  bade  my  friend 
good-night,  hoping  he  would  not  again  be  interrupted  on 
his  journey  by  the  redskins,  and,  the  driver  cracking  his 
whip,  the  four  fresh  bays  bounded  forward  at  a  gallop,  and 
soon  carried  the  coach  out  of  sight  of  the  valley. 

"•  Next  day  we  buried  poor  Cinnamon,  and  sent  the 
wounded  man  to  McPherson,  where  he  could  have  medical 
attendance,  and  we  were  pleased  to  learn  he  speedily 
recovered. 

"  I  rode  down  to  where  the  coach  had  been  attacked, 
and  saw  the  dead  horse  and  the  ravine  from  Avhich  the 
Indians  had  sprung.  The  fight  had  evidently  been  a 
sharp  one,  and  I  could  see  by  the  trail  that  the  savages 
had  followed  the  coach  nearly  to  the  ranch,  and  then 
struck  across  toward  the  Republican,  never  stopping,  in  all 
probability,  until  they  reached  it,  ninety  miles  distant." 

An  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  immense  proportions  to 
which  the  old  mail-line  service  had  grown,  when  in  Novem- 
ber, 1866,  Ben  HoUiday  sold  out  his  interest  to  Wells, 
Fargo,  &  Company.  The  main  line  and  its  branches  were 
transferred  for  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars 
in  cash,  and  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  stock 
of  the  Express  Company.  This  vast  sum  only  covered 
the  animals,  rolling  stock,  stations,  etc.,  but  in  addition  to 
this,  the  Express  Company  was  to  pay  the  full  value  of  the 
grain,  hay,  and  provisions  on  hand  at  the  time  of  the  trans- 
fer, and  this  amounted  to  nearly  six  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 


224 


THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TllAIL 


The  old  line  of  mail-service  continued  until  its  useful- 
ness was  gradually  usurped  by  the  completion  of  the 
Union  and  Central  racific  railroads.  The  coaches  started 
daily  from  the  eastern  and  Avestern  terminals  of  the 
rapidly  approaching  iron  trail,  the  gap  between  them 
lessening  until  on  the  day  of  driving  tlie  last  spike  with 
the  junction  of  the  rails  the  old  stage-line  through  the 
Platte  Valley  had  vanished  forever. 


Dry  dc(f  offhf  Souffi  Fork 

of  /he  Pldlfc.  (/^j}o) 


CHAPTER  X 


SCENERY  AND  HISTORICAL  LOCALITIES  ON  THE  ROUTE  OF  THE 
OLD  TRAIL LOUP  FORK DE  SMET's  ACCOUNT  OF  A  WATER- 
SPOUT—  WOOD  RIVER  —  Brady's  island  —  ash  hollow  — 
Johnson's    creek — scott's    bluff  —  independence   rock 

AND   its   legend CHIMNEY   ROCK CRAZY   WOMAN's   CREEK 

LARAMIE      PLAINS  LEGENDS      AND      TRADITIONS      ABOUT 

THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE EARLY    SURVEYS 


Cenerd/  ffemonf- 


ROM  the  earliest  westward 
march  of  civilization,  the 
beautiful    valley    of    the 
Platte,  through  which  the 
Salt  Lake  Trail  coursed 
its  way,  has  been  a  grand 
pathway    to    the    moun- 
tains,   and   thence    over    their 
snow-capped    summits    to   the 
golden   shores    of    the    Pacific 


Ocean. 
In  a  little  more  than  a  third  of  a  century, 
through  the  agency  of  that  greatest  of  civilizers,  the  loco- 
motive, the  charming  and  fertile  valley  has  been  carved 
into  prosj)erous  commonwealths,  whose  development  from 
an  almost  desert  waste  is  a  marvellous  monument  to  the 
restless  energy  of  the  American  people,  and  of  their  power 
to  conquer  the  wilderness. 

In  1842  Lieutenant  John  C.  Fremont  travelled  up  the 
Blue,  on  his  first  exploring  expedition,  and  arrived  in 
the  Platte  at  Grand  Island,  where  the  party  separated,  a 


Q 


225 


226  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

2)ortion  proceeding  up  the  North  Fork  of  the  river,  toward 
i-iiiramie,  and  another  up  the  South  Fork.  The  following 
year  the  great  pathfinder  ventured  on  a  second  expedition 
by  the  way  of  tiie  Kansas  and  Republican  rivers,  reaching 
the  Platte  at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  Creek. 

In  1847  the  Platte  Valley  became  the  highway  of  the 
Mormons  in  their  wonderful  exodus  from  Illinois  to  Utah, 
and  ten  years  later  the  trails  made  by  that  remarkable 
sect  were  followed  by  the  rush  of  pioneers  to  the  newly 
discovered  gold  fields  of  California. 

Twelve  years  later,  the  beautiful  valley  w^as  traversed 
by  a  greater  rusli  of  adventurers  than  ever  before  in  its 
history.  In  the  summer  of  1850  Mr.  Green  Russell  and 
his  adventurous  companions  discovered  gold  on  a  tributary 
of  the  Platte.  The  report  spread  so  rapidly  that  the 
greatest  excitement  at  once  developed  on  the  frontier  of 
Missouri,  whicli  Avas  then  the  boundary  between  civili- 
zation and  the  unknown  Far  West.  In  the  folloAving 
spring  the  exodus  to  the  gold  fields  began.  The  old 
overland  route  was  famed  for  its  picturesque  scenery,  but 
as  the  weary  traveller  slowly  trod  the  dangerous  trail,  he 
was  too  often  in  constant  dread  of  attacks  by  the  blood- 
thirst}^  savages  to  allow  his  mind  to  dwell  upon  the  details 
of  the  magnificent  landscape.  To-da}-,  however,  as  the 
same  route  is  practically  shod  with  iron,  the  tourist,  from 
the  windows  of  his  car  on  the  Union  Pacific,  may  safely 
contemplate  the  historic  valley.  Its  beautiful  towns  and 
hamlets,  its  cultivated  plains,  its  watercourses,  its  sky- 
ward-reaching peaks,  may  be  seen  in  a  security  Avhich 
would  have  passed  the  very  dreams  of  a  pioneer  fift}^  years 
ago. 

The  scenery  is  sufficiently  wild  to  please  the  most 
exacting,  even  to-day;  for  its  isolated  buttes,  rock}-  bluffs, 
lightning-splintered  gorges,  foaming  torrents,  fantasti- 
cally formed  bowlders,  and  towering  mountains  brook  no 


SCENERY    ON   THE   TRAIL  227 

change  at  the  hands  of  puny  man,  and  are  as  firm  as  the 
rock  itself.  Under  a  sky  tliat  nowhere  else  seems  to  be 
of  such  an  intensely  cerulean  hue,  the  charm  of  the  region 
is  intensified. 

Before  a  European  ever  looked  upon  it,  the  Platte 
Valley  was  for  centuries,  in  all  probability,  a  gateway 
to  the  mountains.  The  prehistoric  mound-builders,  per- 
haps, travelled  its  lonely  course,  and  on  through  the 
portals  of  the  great  Continental  Divide,  to  the  southern 
sea.  The  rude,  primitive  savage  of  North  America,  with 
whom  the  hairy  mammoth  and  primeval  elephant  were 
contemporary,  in  a  geological  epoch,  whose  distance  in 
the  misty  past  appalls,  traversed  the  silent  trail  across 
the  continent.  He  packed  on  his  back  the  furs  of  the 
colder  regions,  where  he  lived.  He  carried  copper  from 
the  mines  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior  ;  the  horns  of 
the  moose,  elk,  and  deer  ;  robes  of  the  buffalo,  the  wolf, 
and  kindred  animals.  Among  his  merchandise  were 
masses  of  red  pipestone  from  the  sacred  quarries  east  of 
the  Missouri.  He  journeyed  with  these  treasures  to  the 
people  of  the  southwest  and  exchanged  them  for  what  to 
him  were  equally  precious  :  brilliant  feathers  of  tropical 
birds  ;  valuable  gems,  like  the  revered  turquoise  ;  rare 
metals  ;  woven  fabrics,  and  other  commodities  foreign  to 
his  own  wind-swept  and  snow-bound  plains. 

The  Platte  Valley,  for  untold  ages,  was  a  beautiful, 
awful  wilderness,  thronged  by  stately  headed  elk,  and  the 
resort  of  vast  herds  of  buffalo,  deer,  and  antelope.  Until 
a  few  years  ago  their  skulls  and  bones  could  still  be  seen 
in  some  localities,  scattered  thick  upon  the  ground  be- 
tween the  bluffs  and  the  river.  Now  all  the  eame  has 
vanished,  excepting,  perhaps,  a  few  antelope  and  deer  in 
some  favoured  mountain  recess,  where  the  white  man  has 
not  invaded  the  rocky  soil  with  his  plough. 

Until  fifty  years  ago  the  whole  region  watered  by  the 


228  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

Platte  was  regarded  as  a  veritable  desert,  never  to  be 
brought  under  the  domain  of  agriculture,  but  forever 
doomed  to  a  hopeless  sterility.  Its  inhabitants  were  a 
wild,  merciless  horde  of  savages,  whose  only  aim  was 
murder,  and  an  unceasing  warfare  against  any  encroach- 
ment upon  their  domain  by  the  hated  palefaces. 

The  river  is  very  shallow,  and  for  that  reason  was 
called  by  the  Otoes,  whose  country  embraced  the  region 
at  its  mouth,  the  Ne-bras-ka,  and  re-christened  the  Platte 
by  the  French  trappers,  a  term  synonymous  to  that  given 
by  the  Indians. 

The  Platte  River,  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century 
ago,  was  called  by  Washington  Irving,  "  The  most  mag- 
nificent and  most  useless  of  streams.  Abstraction  made 
of  its  defects,  nothing  can  be  more  pleasing  than  the 
perspective  which  it  presents  to  the  eye.  Its  islands 
have  the  appearance  of  a  labyrinth  of  groves  floating  on 
the  waters.  Their  extraordinary  position  gives  an  air  of 
youth  and  loveliness  to  the  whole  scene.  If  to  this  be 
added  the  undulations  of  the  river,  the  waving  of  the 
verdure,  the  alternations  of  light  and  shade,  the  succes- 
sion of  these  islands  varying  in  form  and  beauty,  and  the 
purity  of  the  atmosphere,  some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
pleasing  sensations  which  the  traveller  experiences  on 
beholding  a  scene  that  seems  to  have  started  fresh  from 
the  hands  of  the  Creator." 

The  valley  is  wide,  and  once  was  covered  with  luxuri- 
ant grass  and  dotted  with  many-coloured  flowers.  For  a 
great  distance  along  its  lower  portions,  the  banks  were 
fringed  with  a  heavy  growth  of  cottonwood,  willow,  and 
other  varieties  of  timber. 

In  its  solitude  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
it  might  properly  be  claimed  as  the  arena  of  the  tornado 
and  the  race  course  of  the  winds.  Climatic  changes,  which 
follow  the  empire    of   tlie  plough,   have  dissipated   such 


SCENERY    ON    THE   TRAIL  229 

iitmospheric  phenomena  as  characterized  the  vast  wilder- 
ness in  its  days  of  absolute  isolation  from  the  march  of 
civilization,  as  they  have  elsewhere  in  the  central  regions 
of  the  continent. 

The  revered  Father  De  Smet,  who  traversed  the  then 
dreary  wilderness  of  the  Platte  Valley,  as  long  ago  as 
fifty-seven  years,  thus  writes  in  his  letters  to  the  bishop 
of  St.  Louis,  of  a  tornado  he  witnessed :  — 

"  However,  it  happens  sometimes,  though  but  seldom, 
that  the  clouds,  floating  with  great  rapidity,  open  currents 
of  air  so  violent  as  suddenly  to  chill  the  atmosphere  and 
produce  the  most  destructive  hailstorms.  I  have  seen 
some  hailstones  the  size  of  an  egg.  It  is  dangerous  to 
be  abroad  during  these  storms.  A  Cheyenne  Indian  was 
lately  struck  by  a  hailstone,  and  remained  senseless  for 
an  hour. 

"  Once  as  the  storm  raged  near  us,  we  witnessed  a  sub- 
lime sight.  A  spiral  abyss  seemed  to  be  suddenly  formed 
in  the  air.  The  clouds  followed  each  other  into  it  with 
great  velocity,  till  they  attracted  all  objects  around  them, 
whilst  such  clouds  as  were  too  large  and  too  far  distant 
to  feel  its  influence  turned  in  an  opposite  direction. 
The  noise  we  heard  in  the  air  was  like  that  of  a  tempest. 
On  beholding  the  conflict,  we  fancied  that  all  the  winds 
had  been  let  loose  from  the  four  points  of  the  compass. 
It  is  very  probable  that  if  it  had  approached  nearer,  the 
whole  caravan  would  have  made  an  ascension  into  the 
clouds.  The  spiral  column  moved  majestically  toward 
the  north,  and  lighted  on  the  surface  of  the  Platte.  Then 
another  scene  was  exhibited  to  view.  The  waters,  agi- 
tated by  its  powerful  function,  began  to  turn  round  with 
frightful  noise,  and  were  suddenly  drawn  up  to  the  clouds 
in  a  spiral  form.  The  column  appeai-ed  to  measure  a  mile 
in  height;  and  such  was  the  violence  of  the  winds,  which 
came  down  in  a  perpendicular  direction,  that  in  the  twin- 


230  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

kling  of  an  eye  the  trees  were  torn  and  uprooted,  and  their 
boughs  scattered  in  every  direction.  But  what  is  violent 
does  not  last.  After  a  few  minutes  the  friglitful  visita- 
tion ceased.  The  column,  not  being  able  to  sustain  the 
weight  at  its  base,  was  dissolved  almost  as  quickly  as  it 
had  been  formed. 

^'' In  pro[)()rtion  as  Ave  proceeded  toward  the  source  of 
this  wonderful  river,  the  shades  of  vegetation  became 
more  gloomy,  and  the  brows  of  the  mountain  more 
craggy.  Everything  seemed  to  wear  the  aspect  not  of 
decay,  but  of  age,  or  rather  of  venerable  antiquity." 

The  broad  old  Salt  Lake  Trail  to  the  Rocky  Mountains 
coincided  with  the  Platte  River  about  twenty  miles  below 
the  head  of  Grand  Island.  .  The  island  used  to  be  densely 
wooded,  and  extended  for  sixty  or  seventy  miles.  The 
valley  at  that  point  is  about  seven  miles  wide,  and  the 
stream  itself,  between  one  and  two  from  bank  to  bank. 

The  South  Platte  was  a  muddy  stream,  and  with  its 
low  banks,  scattered  fiat  sand-bars,  and  pigmy  islands, 
a  melanchol}'  river,  straggling  through  the  centre  of  vast 
prairies,  and  only  saved  from  being  impossible  to  find 
with  the  naked  eye  by  its  sentinel  trees  standing  at  long 
distances  from  each  other,  on  either  side. 

The  Platte  of  the  mountain  region  scarcely  retains  one 
characteristic  of  the  stream  far  below.  Here,  it  is  con- 
fined to  a  bed  of  rock  and  sand,  not  more  than  two  hun- 
dred yards  wide,  and  its  water  is  of  unwonted  clearness 
and  transparency.  Its  banks  are  steep  and  the  attrition 
caused  at  the  time  of  spring  freshets  shows  a  deep  vege- 
table mould  reaching  far  back,  making  the  soil  highly 
fertile.  Here,  too,  the  river  forces  its  way  through  a 
barrier  of  tablelands,  forming  one  of  those  striking 
peculiarities  incident  to  mountain  streams,  called  by  the 
Spaniards  a  canon  ;  that  is,  a  narrow  passage  between 
liigh  and  precipitous  banks,  formed  by  mountains;  a  com- 


SCENERY   ON    THE   TRAIL  231 

mon  term  in  the  language  of  the  mountaineers  describing 
one  of  these  picturesque  breaks  through  the  range. 

The  scenery  of  the  upper  Platte  is  constantly  changing, 
the  river  presenting  more  the  appearance  of  a  genuine 
mountain  stream.  Its  banks  are  here  and  there  heavily 
fringed  with  timber,  rich  grass  grows  luxuriantly  in  the 
flat  bottoms,  and  the  dark  bluffs  which  bound  them  form 
a  beautiful  background,  interspersed  occasionally  by 
snow-capped  peaks. 

In  little  more  than  the  third  of  a  century  the  vast  area 
of  desert-waste  comprising  the  valley  of  the  Platte,  and 
beyond,  has  been  transmuted  by  that  most  effective  of 
civilizers  the  railroad,  into  great  states.  On  the  terra 
incognita  there  have  appeared  large  cities  and  towns, 
whose  genesis  is  a  marvel  in  the  history  of  nations. 
Peace  has  spread  her  white  wings  over  the  bloody  sands 
of  the  trail,  whose  sublime  silence  but  a  short  time  since 
was  so  often  broken  by  the  diabolical  whoop  of  the  savage, 
as  he  wrenched  the  reeking  scalp  from  the  head  of  his 
enem3\  Where  it  required  many  weeks  of  dangerous, 
tedious  travel  to  cross  the  weary  pathway  to  the  moun- 
tains, now,  in  all  the  luxuriance  of  modern  American 
railway  service,  the  traveller  is  whirled  along  at  the  rate 
of  fifty  miles  an  hour,  and  where  it  required  many  days 
for  the  transmission  of  news,  the  events  of  the  whole 
civilized  world,  as  they  hourly  occur,  are  flashed  from 
ocean  to  ocean  in  a  few  seconds. 

The  islands,  bluffs,  and  isolated  peaks  of  the  trail 
have  clustering  around  them  many  thrilling  legends, 
stories,  and  events;  some  of  them  reaching  far  backward 
into  the  dim  light  of  tradition;  others  having  happened 
within  the  memory  of  men  now  living.  All  are  strangely 
characteristic  of  the  region,  and  are  as  full  of  poetry  and 
pathos  as  the  epics  of  ancient  Greece,  whose  stciies  are 
the  basis  of  the  literature  of  the  world  to-day. 


232  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Some  traveller,  who  has  visited  ever}-  picturesque  sjDot 
on  both  continents,  has  truthfully  said:  "No!  Never  need 
an  American  look  beyond  his  own  country  for  the  sublime 
and  beautiful  of  natural  scenery."  Nowhere  else  on  the 
continent  is  the  landscape  for  such  a  distance  so  varied, 
so  distinctly  picturesque,  beautiful,  and  sublime,  as  that 
which  may  be  viewed  from  the  car  windows  of  the  mag- 
nificent trains  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway.  They 
swiftly  course  over  almost  the  identical  pathway  once 
followed  by  the  overland  stage-coach,  the  pony  express, 
and  the  slowly  plodding  ox  caravans  in  the  days  when 
the  possibility  of  a  transcontinental  trail  of  steel  was 
regarded  as  a  chimera. 

Less  than  a  hundred  miles  from  the  Missouri  River  is 
the  famous  Loup  Fork  of  the  Platte,  once  celebrated  for 
the  great  Pawnee  Indian  village  on  its  south  bank,  where, 
long  before  the  white  man  encroached  upon  the  beautiful 
region,  that  once  powerful  tribe  lived  in  a  sort  of  barbaric 
splendour.  This  affluent  was  so  named  by  the  early  French- 
Canadian  trappers  because  of  the  numerous  packs  of  wolves 
that  haunted  the  region.  Game,  consisting  of  deer,  buffalo, 
antelope,  turkeys,  and  prairie  chickens,  abounded,  while 
the  stream  itself  was  covered  with  ducks  and  geese.  Dur- 
ing the  days  of  travel  by  the  old  trail,  at  the  crossing-place 
was  a  primitive  ferry.  The  current  was  always  very 
strong,  and  Avhen  the  fork  was  much  swollen,  dangerous. 
The  region  watered  by  the  Loup  Fork  is  unsurpassed  in 
fertility  by  any  other  portion  of  the  valley  of  the  Platte. 
After  crossing  the  stream,  the  Union  Pacific's  track  is  a 
perfectly  straight  line,  and  when  the  fields  are  golden 
with  the  harvests,  the  view  from  the  train  is  the  most 
marvellous  agricultural  landscape  to  be  found  anywhere 
on  the  continent. 

A  few  miles  westward,  beyond  Grand  Island,  is  Wood 
River,  a  noted  landmark  and  camping-place  for  those  who 


SCENERY   ON    THE   TRAIL  233 

followed  the  tide  of  immigration  to  Utah,  and  to  the  gold 
fields  of  California,  in  1849.  It  was  always  a  pleasant 
spot,  and  is  now  a  station  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railway. 
As  the  tourist  crosses  the  bridge  over  the  stream  in  a 
palace  car,  he  may  look  down  from  his  window,  and  medi- 
tate on  the  brilliancy  of  the  present,  and  the  misty  past, 
Avith  all  its  adventures  and  suffering.  The  march  of 
civilization  has  made  wonderful  changes  in  fifty  years. 
It  has  forced  the  Indians,  the  buffaloes,  and  the  antelopes 
away  from  the  prairies,  and  in  their  places  comfortable 
homes  may  now  be  seen  on  the  sites  of  old  camps.  The 
pretty  little  stream  still  runs  its  race  to  the  Platte,  and 
lingering  near  the  bank  at  the  old  ford,  murmurs  its  story 
of  the  long  ago,  as  the  train  rushes  by. 

After  passing  Grand  Island,  the  next  place  of  impor- 
tance between  the  flourishing  town  of  Columbus  and  North 
Platte  is  that  known  as  Brady's. 

Brady's  Island  honours  the  memory  of  an  olcl-time 
trapper,  who  was  brutally  murdered  by  one  of  his  partners 
in  1847.  They  were  engaged  in  their  vocation  as  em- 
ployees of  the  American  Fur  Company,  on  the  many 
tributaries  of  the  Platte,  and  their  camp  at  the  time  was 
on  the  island  that  bears  the  unfortunate  man's  name. 
The  tradition  says  that  the  little  coterie  of  trappers  had 
landed  there  to  pack  their  accumulation  of  the  season's 
furs  for  the  market  of  St.  Louis,  then  the  only  place  where 
they  could  be  disposed  of  in  the  whole  West. 

The  day  when  everything  was  about  ready  for  embarka- 
tion down  the  river  to  the  Missouri,  in  a  rude  boat  which 
they  had  constructed  of  buffalo-hides  drawn  over  a  frame- 
work of  poles,  Brady  and  one  of  the  men  were  in  the  camp 
alone  —  the  others  were  at  work  on  the  bank  of  the  stream. 
Brady  and  the  one  who  was  left  in  the  camp  that  morning 
were  ever  on  bad  terms  with  each  other,  and  more  than 
once  had  indulged  in  some  severe  quarrels. 


234  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

When  the  rest  of  their  party  returned  to  the  camp  pre- 
paratory to  starting,  they  found  Brady  dead,  lying  in  a 
pool  of  his  own  blood.  His  partner,  when  questioned  as 
to  the  cause  of  his  deatli,  affirmed  that  he  was  accidentally 
killed  by  the  premature  discharge  of  his  own  rifle,  which 
he  had  been  carelessly  handling. 

The  story  was  not  believed  by  the  men,  and  the  cold- 
blooded murderer  escaped  lynching  by  his  companions 
only  by  the  better  judgment  of  the  cooler  heads  of  some, 
who  insisted  that  possibly  the  tale  might  be  true.  The 
body  of  the  unlucky  trapper  was  buried  near  the  spot 
where  he  fell,  but  was  soon  dug  up  by  the  wolves,  and 
his  bones  left  to  bleach  in  the  wintry  sun.  Portions  of 
them  were  found  eight  or  ten  years  afterward  by  another 
party  of  trappers,  and  when  they  recognized  them  as  those 
of  a  human  being,  they  carefully  reinterred  them. 

The  party  of  trappers,  sad  at  the  loss  of  one  of  their 
number,  started  down  the  Platte,  with  their  boat-load  of 
furs,  but  finding  the  river  too  shallow  to  navigate  their 
frail  craft,  they  were  compelled  to  abandon  it.  They 
themselves  carried  what  they  could  of  its  contents  and 
made  the  best  of  their  way  on  foot,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,  to  the  nearest  settlement.  In  a  few  days  their  pro- 
visions began  to  run  short,  and  as  game  became  scarce, 
they  separated,  after  making  about  one  hundred  miles  of 
their  lonesome  journey,  each  man  taking  his  own  trail 
toward  the  Missouri.  The  murderer  of  Brady  happened 
to  be  a  very  indifferent  walker,  and  was  soon  left  many 
miles  behind  his  comrades. 

When  the  foremost  of  the  party  arrived  at  the  Pawnee 
village,  on  the  Loup  Fork  of  the  Platte,  they  sent  back 
two  members  of  that  tribe  to  bring  in  the  lost  man,  while 
they  continued  on  their  journey  toward  the  Missouri.  A 
week  or  more  later  a  small  party  of  trappers  belonging  to 
the  same  fur  compan}^  happening  to  go  near  the  Indian 


SCENERY   ON    THE   TRAIL  235 

village,  were  stopped  by  the  head  chief,  who  requested 
them  to  go  with  him,  to  see  a  white  man  who  was  lying 
very  sick  in  his  teepee. 

They  complied  with  the  Indian's  request,  and  found 
the  murderer  of  Brady  at  the  point  of  death.  He  con- 
fessed to  them  how  Brady  came  to  his  end;  told  of  his 
own  sufferings,  and  believed  them  to  be  the  justice  that 
was  dealt  out  to  him  for  the  unwarranted  killing  of  his 
partner.  He  told  them,  further,  that  when  his  companions 
left  him  on  the  road,  he  had  tried  to  light  a  fire  at  night 
with  his  pistol,  and  the  charge  accidentally  entered  his 
thigh  bone,  tearing  it  into  splinters.  In  that  deplorable 
condition  he  was  absolutely  helpless;  to  walk  was  an 
impossibility.  He  could  hardly  move  at  all,  far  less 
dress  his  wound  properly.  He  managed,  by  tying  a  piece 
of  cloth  to  a  stick,  to  let  any  passing  trapper  know  where 
he  was  lying.  He  remained  there  for  six  days  and  nights, 
when  at  last  his  ear  caught  the  sound  of  human  voices, 
and  waking  up  from  the  stupor  which  had  overcome  Inm 
from  his  weakness,  to  his  great  delight  he  discovered  two 
friendly  Pawnees  leaning  over  him,  their  countenances 
filled  with  compassion.  They  gave  him  some  nourish- 
ment, tenderly  conveyed  him  to  their  village,  and  had 
kindly  cared  for  him  ever  since. 

He  expired  while  the  trappers  Avere  conversing  with 
him. 

One  of  the  historic  places  on  the  left  bank  of  the  North 
Fork  of  the  Platte  is  Ash  Hollow, ^  twelve  miles  distant 
from  the  main  stream,  famous  for  a  battle  between  Little 
Thunder,  chief  of  the  Brule  Sioux,  and  the  Second  Regi- 
ment of  United  States  Dragoons,  under  command  of  Brevet 
Brigadier  William  S.  Harney;  in  which  some  eighty 
Indians  were  slain,  and  the  lives  of  twelve  of  our  own 
soldiers  lost. 

1  Near  the  station  of  Ogallala,  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 


236  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Johnson's  Creek  was  named  for  a  foolish  missionary  a 
great  many  years  ago,  who  was  on  his  way  to  Oregon,  in 
company  with  a  party  of  emigrants  in  charge  of  John  Gray. 

As  they  were  breaking  camp  one  morning,  a  band  of 
Sioux  suddenly  charged  out  of  the  hills,  and  preparations 
were  immediately  made  by  Mr.  Gray  and  his  men  to  repel 
them.  Against  such  a  course  as  this  Mr.  Johnson  loudly 
protested.  He  declared  that  it  would  be  a  terrible  out- 
rage to  shed  innocent  blood,  and  as  the  savages  neared 
the  camp,  he  marched  out  to  meet  them  and  have  a  talk, 
notwithstanding  that  he  was  told  by  his  companions  that 
the  Indians  would  not  listen  to  him  for  a  moment,  but 
would  take  his  scalp. 

The  deluded  fool  really  believed  that  the  savages  would 
not  harm  him,  because  he  was  a  missionary,  and  had  vent- 
ured out  among  them  to  do  their  race  good.  Of  course 
he  fell  a  victim  to  his  own  ridiculous  credulity ;  for  the 
moment  the  Indians  came  close  enough,  they  incontinently 
murdered  him,  and  his  hair  was  dangling  at  the  belt  of 
one  of  the  warriors  before  Johnson  had  a  chance  to  put  in 
a  word. 

In  the  fight  which  ensued  three  of  the  Indians  were 
killed,  and  were,  with  the  mangled  remains  of  the  unfort- 
unate missionary,  buried  in  one  grave. 

Independence  Rock  is  an  isolated  mass  of  clear  granite, 
located  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  right  bank  of  the 
Sweetwater.  Its  base  covers  an  area  of  nearly  five  acres, 
and  rises  to  a  height  of  about  three  hundred  feet.  There 
is  a  slight  depression  on  its  summit,  otherwise  the  rock 
would  be  nearly  oval  in  shape.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
trail,  a  little  soil,  which  had  probably  been  drifted  into 
the  depression  mentioned,  supported  a  few  sickl}'  shrubs 
and  one  dwarf  tree. 

The  front  face  of  this  ancient  landmark,  like  that  of 
Pawnee  Rock,  on  the  old  Santa  Fe  Tiail,  is  covered  with 


SCENERY    ON    THE   TRAIL 


237 


the  names  of  trappers,  traders,  emigrants,  and  other  men 
who  supposed  that  their  rude  carvings  woukl  immortalize 
them. 

The  rock  derives  its  patriotic  name  from  the  fact  that 
many  years  ago  one  of  the  first  party  of  Americans  who 
crossed  the  continent  by  the  way  of  the  Platte  Valley, 
under  the  leadership  of  a  man  named  Thorp,  celebrated 
their  J'ourth  of  July  at  the  foot  of  the  now  historic 
mass  of  granite.  _ 


'  Independence  fibcA 


The  most  prominent  inscription  on  the  face  of  the  rock 
is  Independence.  Father  De  Smet,  the  celebrated  Jesuit 
priest,  says  of  it  in  his  letters  to  the  bishop  of  St.  Louis, 
in  1841:  "The  first  rock  which  we  saw,  and  which  truly 
deserves  the  name,  was  the  famous  rock  Independence. 
At  first  I  was  led  to  believe  that  it  had  received  this 
pompous  name  from  its  isolated  situation  and  the  solidity 
of  its  basis ;  but  I  was  afterward  told  that  it  was  called 
so  because  the  first  travellers  who  thought  of  giving  it  a 
name  arrived  at  it  on  the  very  day  when  the  people  of 
the  United  States  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  their  separa- 
tion from  Great  Britain.     We  reached  this  spot  on  the 


238  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

day  that  immediately  succeeds  this  celebration.  We  had 
in  our  company  a  young  Englishman,  as  jealous  of  the 
honour  of  his  nation  as  the  Americans ;  hence  we  had  a 
double  reason  not  to  cry  hurrah,  for  Independence. 
Still,  on  the  following  day,  lest  it  might  be  said  that  W3 
passed  this  lofty  monument  of  the  desert  with  indiffer- 
ence, we  cut  our  names  on  the  south  side  of  the  rock, 
under  initials  (I.  H.  S.)  which  we  would  wish  to  see 
engraved  on  every  spot.  On  account  of  all  these  names, 
and  of  the  dates  that  accompany  them,  as  well  as  of  the 
hieroglyphics  of  Indian  warriors,  I  have  surnamed  this 
rock  'The  Great  Record  of  the  Desert.'  " 

As  is  the  case  with  nearly  all  of  the  prominent  bluffs, 
mountains,  and  isolated  peaks  in  the  romantic  valley. 
Independence  Rock  has  its  Indian  legend.  The  story  as 
told  by  an  old  warrior  is  this :  — 

"A  great  many  years  ago,  long  before  any  white  man 
had  looked  upon  the  valley  of  the  Upper  Platte,  the  chief 
of  the  Pawnees,  whose  big  villages  extended  for  some 
distance  along  that  river,  was  known  as  the  Crouching 
Panther.  He  was  one  of  the  bravest  warriors  that  the 
famous  Pawnee  nation  had  ever  produced ;  large  in  stature, 
powerful  in  his  strength,  yet  as  lithe  and  quick  as  the 
animal  from  which  he  derived  his  name.  He  was  beloved 
by  his  tribe,  and  none  of  his  many  Avarriors  could  compete 
with  him  for  an  instant  in  all  the  manly  games  which 
afford  the  amusements  of  the  savages,  nor  with  him  in  the 
chase  after  the  buffalo  or  the  more  fleet  antelope.  His 
prowess,  too,  in  battle  was  far  beyond  that  of  any  of  the 
great  warriors  which  tradition  had  handed  down ;  yet  he 
was  not  envied  by  any,  for  he  was  of  a  loving  and  kind 
disposition.  He  was  equal  in  feats  of  horsemanship  to 
the  Comanches,  which  nation  excels  in  that  particular 
over  all  other  Plains  tribes. 

"In  the  village  there  lived  a  superaniinated  chief,  who 


SCENERY   ON   THE   TRAIL  239 

possessed  a  daughter  considered  the  handsomest  maiden 
in  all  the  region  which  was  watered  by  the  great  Platte. 
She  was  as  graceful  as  an  antelope  in  all  her  movements, 
and,  as  is  usual  in  the  strange  nomenclature  of  the  savages 
who  take  their  cognomens  from  some  characteristic  of  their 
nature,  she  was  known  as  the  Antelope,  because  she  more 
resembled  that  graceful  animal  than  any  other  of  the  young 
maidens  in  her  tribe.  She  would  flit  from  rock  to  rock, 
when  out  gathering  berries,  or  float  down  the  stream  in 
her  birch-bark  canoe,  catching  fish  for  her  aged  father's 
meals.  Crouching  Panther  had  for  a  long  time  had  his 
e3'es  riveted  upon  the  Antelope,  and  would  often  lie  for 
hours  on  some  high  point  of  rock  watching  the  youthful 
girl  as  she  attended  to  the  cares  of  her  lodge.  He  never 
returned  from  a  successful  hunt  without  sending  some 
choice  portion  of  the  buffalo  or  other  animal  he  had  killed 
to  the  lodge  of  the  Antelope. 

"The  arrangements,  according  to  the  customs  of  the 
tribe,  had  already  been  made  for  a  wedding  of  the  favourite 
young  savages,  when  on  the  night  preceding  the  ceremony 
a  party  of  Sioux,  the  deadly  hereditary  enemies  of  the 
Pawnees,  made  a  night  assault  upon  the  village,  and  after 
a  terrible  fight  carried  off  a  number  of  scalps,  and  many 
prisoners,  among  whom  was  the  Antelope. 

"  The  prisoners  were  hurried  off  to  one  of  the  remote 
fastnesses  of  the  Sioux  up  in  the  mountains,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Medicine  Bow  River,  where,  as  was  the  custom  of  the 
Indians,  they  intended  to  sacrifice  their  prisoners  by  the 
worst  methods  of  torture  as  ingeniously  cruel  as  they 
could  possibly  make  it. 

"In  two  days  after  the  return  of  the  warriors  to  the 
Sioux  village  was  the  sacrifice  to  be  made.  The  friends 
and  relatives  of  the  Sioux  who  had  been  killed  in  the 
assault  upon  the  Pawnees  were  drawn  up  around  the 
unfortunate  captives,  who  were  about  to  be  fastened  to 


240  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

stakes  and  stand  the  terrible  ordeal  of  death  by  fire,  when 
suddenly,  like  a  clap  of  thunder  out  of  a  clear  sky,  the 
terrible  war-whoop  of  the  Pawnees  sounded  in  the  ears  of 
the  now  thoroughly  frightened  Sioux,  who  saw,  to  their 
dismay,  a  band  of  the  dreaded  Pawnees  led  by  the  intrepid 
Crouching  Panther.  Dashing  down  upon  them,  they 
fought  their  way  to  where  the  prisoners  were  already 
stoically  awaiting  their  terrible  fate,  and  the  Crouching 
Panther,  rushing  to  where  the  Antelope  was  standing, 
after  killing  half  a  dozen  of  his  foes,  caught  her  up, 
and  throwing  her  before  him  on  his  saddle,  dashed  off 
with  his  brave  little  band  of  followers  before  the  aston- 
ished Sioux  could  recover.  It  was  not  long  before  they 
recovered  their  presence  of  mind,  however,  and,  enraged 
by  the  loss  of  their  prisoners,  immediately  mounted  their 
horses  and  quickly  followed  the  daring  Pawnees  on  the 
trail. 

"The  Sioux  outnumbered  the  Pawnees  ten  to  one,  but 
Crouching  Panther  had  just  that  amount  of  courage 
in  his  nature  that  numbers  did  not  stop  him  Avhen  bent 
on  such  a  mission,  and  he  had  proceeded  a  great  way  on 
the  trail  with  his  warriors  and  the  Antelope  toward  their 
native  village  Avhen  they  were  overtaken  by  a  vastly 
superior  force,  and  a  terrible  fight  took  place.  Many  a 
Sioux  did  the  Crouching  Panther  send  to  the  happy 
hunting-grounds,  notwithstanding  that  he  was  handi- 
capped by  the  living  burden  in  front  of  him  on  his  horse. 
He  was  near  the  rock,  when  he  found  that  all  his  war- 
riors, though  having  fought  bravely,  were  cut  down,  and 
himself  alone,  death  staring  him  in  the  face,  or  what  was 
worse,  the  torture  for  himself  and  the  girl  with  him.  He 
jumped  from  his  animal  with  the  now  fainting  maiden  in 
his  arms,  and,  rushing  up  the  mountain,  followed  by  a 
dozen  of  his  foes,  sprang  to  the  edge  of  the  dizzy  height, 
and  stood  for  a  moment  confronting  his  enemies.     The 


SCENERY    ON   THE   TRAIL  241 

sun  was  just  setting;  the  valle}^  was  flooded  with  a  golden 
light,  and  he  stood  there  with  the  Antelope  in  his  arms  at 
ba}^  for  a  moment,  gazing  in  disdain  upon  his  pursuers. 
As  one  of  the  Sioux  was  foremost  in  his  attempt  to  seize 
the  Crouching  Panther,  the  latter  hurled  his  hatchet  with 
terrible,  unerring  force,  and  buried  it  deep  into  the 
presumptuous  savage's  brain.  At  the  same  moment  cr}-- 
ing  out  'The  spirits  of  a  hundred  Pawnee  braves  will 
accompany  their  great  chief  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds 
of  their  fathers,'  he  pressed  close  to  his  bosom  the  beauti- 
ful form  of  the  Antelope,  sprang  out  into  the  clear  air, 
and  bounding  from  rock  to  rock,  the  two  lovers  were 
dashed  to  pieces  on  the  stony  ground  below." 

Chimney  Rock,  on  the  Platte,  was  once  a  famous  land- 
mark in  the  early  days  of  the  trail.  When  he  reached  it, 
the  pioneer  traveller  knew  that  nearly  one-half  of  the 
journey  from  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Great  Salt  Lake 
was  over.  For  miles  on  either  side  of  it,  it  was  plainly 
visible  to  the  lonely  trapper,  the  hunter,  and  the  western- 
bound  emigrant. 

Erosion  has  worn  it  to  an  insignificant  pillar,  but  it  at 
one  time  was  a  portion  of  the  main  chain  of  bluffs  bound- 
ing the  valley  of  the  Platte.  Denudation  through  count- 
less ages  separated  it  from  them.  Fifty  years  ago  it  was 
a  conical  elevation,  about  a  hundred  feet  high,  from  the 
apex  of  which  another  shaft  arose  forty  feet.  Its  strange 
formation  was  caused  by  disintegration  of  the  softer  por- 
tions of  its  mass.  It  is  located  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river,  not  far  from  the  boundary  line  between  Nebraska 
and  Wyoming.  It  looked  like  a  factory  chimney,  hence 
its  name. 

The  origin  of  "Crazy  Woman's  Creek,"  according  to  a 
legend  of  the  Crows,  told  by  an  aged  chief  to  George  P. 
Belden,  is  as  follows :  — 

"Years  ago,  when  my  father  was  a  little  boy,  there 

R 


242  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

came  among  us  a  man  who  was  half  white.  He  said  he 
wished  to  trade  with  our  people  for  buffalo-robes,  beaver, 
elk,  and  deerskins,  and  that  he  would  give  us  much  paint, 
and  many  blankets  and  pieces  of  cloth  in  exchange  for 
furs.  We  liked  him,  and  believed  him  very  good,  for  he 
was  rich,  having  many  thousands  of  beads  and  hundreds 
of  yards  of  ribbons.  Our  village  was  then  built  on  the 
river,  about  twenty  miles  above  where  we  now  are,  and 
game  was  very  plentiful.  This  river  did  not  at  that  time 
have  the  name  of  Crazy  Woman,  but  was  called  Big  Beard, 
because  a  curious  grass  grows  along  its  banks  that  has 
a  biof  beard.  What  I  am  about  to  relate  caused  the  name 
of  the  river  to  be  changed. 

"The  trader  built  a  lodge  of  wood  and  stones,  and 
near  it  a  great,  strong  house,  in  which  he  kept  all  his 
immense  wealtli.  It  was  not  long  until  he  had  bought 
all  the  robes  and  furs  for  sale  in  the  village,  and  then  he 
packed  them  on  ponies,  and  bidding  us  good-by,  said  he 
was  going  far  to  the  east  where  the  paleface  lives,  but 
that  he  would  soon  come  back,  bring  us  many  presents 
and  plenty  of  blankets,  beads,  and  ribbons,  which  he 
would  exchange  as  before  for  robes  and  furs.  We  were 
sorry  to  see  him  go,  but,  as  he  promised  to  return  in  a 
few  moons,  we  were  much  consoled.  It  was  not  long 
until  our  spies  reported  something  they  could  not  under- 
stand coming  into  our  country,  and  the  whole  village 
was  in  a  ofreat  state  of  alarm.  Some  of  the  boldest 
ventured  out,  and  returned  Avith  the  joyful  intelligence 
that  the  strange  objects  our  young  men  had  seen  was 
the  trader  and  his  people.  All  the  village  ran  to  meet 
him,  and  the  sight  was  strange  enough  indeed.  The 
Crows  had  in  those  days  never  seen  a  wagon,  horse,  or 
ox,  and  the  trader  had  brought  all  these  things.  The 
wagons  they  called  teepees  on  rollers ;  the  horses  were 
giants  beside  the  little  ponies,  and  the  oxen,  all  believed 


SCENERY   ON    THE   TEAIL  243 

were  tame  buffaloes.  There,  also,  was  a  squaw,  who 
was  perfectly  white,  and  who  could  not  understand  any- 
thing- that  was  said  to  her.  She  wore  dresses  down  to 
her  feet,  of  which  she  seemed  to  be  ashamed,  and  our 
women  said  she  tied  cords  tightly  about  her  waist,  so  as 
to  make  it  small.  She  had  very  long  hair,  and  did  not 
plait  but  rolled  it,  and,  instead  of  letting  it  hang  down, 
wrapped  it  tightly  about  her  head. 

"  It  was  not  long  until  the  trader  had  all  his  wagons 
unloaded  and  his  store  open.  He  had  brought  all  the 
women  beads  and  ribbons,  and  the  men  brass  rings.  Be- 
sides what  he  sold,  he  made  many  presents;  so  everybody 
loved  him,  for  no  one  had  ever  before  seen  so  rich  and 
generous  a  man. 

"One  day  he  told  the  Big  Chief  to  come  into  the  back 
part  of  the  store  and  he  would  show  him  something  won- 
derful. The  chief  went,  wondering  what  it  could  be,  and 
Avhen  they  were  alone,  the  trader  drew  out  a  very  little 
barrel  and,  taking  a  wooden  cuj),  poured  out  some  black- 
looking  water,  which  he  told  the  chief  to  drink.  The  chief 
did  as  desired  and  immediately  felt  so  jolly  he  asked  for 
more.  The  trader  promised,  if  he  would  never  tell  any 
one  where  he  got  the  black  water,  he  would  give  him 
all  he  wanted.  The  chief  promised,  and  the  trader  gave 
him  another  cupful.  Now  the  chief  danced  and  sang,  and 
went  to  his  lodge,  where  he  fell  down  in  a  deep  sleep, 
and  no  one  could  wake  him.  He  slept  so  long  the  war- 
riors gathered  about  the  lodge  wondering  what  could  ail 
him,  and  they  were  about  to  go  to  the  trader  and  demand 
to  know  what  kind  of  medicine  he  had  given  the  chief  to 
make  him  behave  so  strangely  when  the  chief  woke  up 
and  ordered  them  all  to  their  lodges,  and  to  ask  no  ques- 
tions. 

"Next  day  the  chief  went  to  the  trader  and  said  he  had 
had  great  dreams ;  that  he  thought  he  had  slain  many  of  his 


244  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKP:   TRAIL 

enemies,  and  that  the  black  medicine  must  be  very  good 
to  make  him  have  such  pleasant  visions.  He  begged  the 
trader  to  give  him  some  more,  and  he  did  so.  Thus  the 
chief  did  every  day,  and  all  the  village  wondered;  for  they 
believed  the  trader  had  bewitched  him.  In  former  times 
the  chief  had  been  a  very  quiet  and  dignified  man,  but 
now  he  sang,  danced  in  the  streets,  and  publicly  hugged 
the  women,  so  every  one  thought  liim  crazy.  The  Crows 
disliked  the  conduct  of  their  chief  very  nnich,  and  began 
to  grumble  against  the  trader;  for  they  thought  he  was  to 
blame  for  the  great  change  that  had  come  over  their  chief. 
Some  said  he  was  bewitched,  others  that  the  trader  had 
an  evil  spirit  in  one  of  his  boxes,  and  thus  they  talked, 
some  believing  one  thing,  and  some  another,  but  all  blam- 
ing him.  One  of  the  young  warriors  called  a  secret  coun- 
cil, and  the  matter  was  discussed,  and  it  was  finally 
decided  that  the  trader  must  leave  or  they  would  put 
him  to  death.  A  warrior,  who  was  a  great  friend  of  the 
trader,  was  sent  to  tell  him  of  the  decision  of  the  council, 
and  when  he  did  so,  the  trader  laughed  and  said  if  he 
would  come  into  the  back  of  the  store,  and  never  tell  any- 
body, he  would  show  him  what  ailed  the  chief.  The  war- 
rior went,  and  the  trader  gave  him  a  ladleful  of  the 
black  water  to  drink.  Presently  he  began  to  sing  and 
dance  about,  and  then  went  out  into  the  street  and  sang, 
Avhich  greatly  surprised  every  one,  for  he  had  never  done 
so  before.  The  young  men  gathered  about  him  and  asked 
him  what  ailed  him,  but  he  only  said,  'Oh,  go  to  the  trader 
and  get  some  of  the  black  water! '  So  they  went  to  the 
trader  and  inquired  what  kind  of  black  water  he  had  that 
affected  people  so  strangely;  and  the  trader  told  them  he 
had  only  the  same  kind  of  water  they  drank,  and  brought 
out  his  pail,  that  they  all  might  drink.  Each  Avarrior 
took  up  the  ladle  and  drank  some,  and  made  the  trader 
drink  some,  and  then  they  sat  down  to  wait  and  see  if  it 


SCENERY   ON   THE   TRAIL  •         245 

would  affect  them  like  the  chief  and  their  biother-wanior ; 
but  it  did  not,  and  they  rose  up  and  said,  'The  trader  or 
our  brother  lies,  and  we  will  see  who  is  the  liar.'  They 
went  to  the  warrior's  lodge  and  found  him  sound  asleep, 
nor  could  they  wake  him.  Two  remained  to  watch  by 
him,  and  the  others  went  to  their  teepees.  When  the  sun 
was  up,  the  warriors  rose,  and,  seeing  the  others  sitting 
in  his  tent,  said,  'Why  are  you  here,  my  brothers? '  And 
the  eldest  of  the  two  warriors  replied,  'You  have  lied  to 
us,  for  the  trader  has  no  black  water.'  The  warrior, 
recollecting  his  promise  not  to  tell,  said,  'It  is  true  that 
the  trader  has  no  black  water,  and  who  said  he  had?' 
Tliey  explained  to  him  his  conduct  of  the  day  before,  at 
which  he  was  greatly  astonished,  and  he  declared  if  such 
waa  tlie  case  he  must  have  been  very  sick  in  his  head  and 
not  known  what  he  said.  Thereupon  the  warriors  with- 
drew and  reported  all  to  their  brethren.  The  warriors 
were  greatly  perplexed,  and  knew  not  what  to  do  or  think, 
but  decided  to  wait  and  see. 

"Tlie  chief  and  warrior  were  now  drunk  every  da}-,  and 
the  young  chief  called  another  council.  It  was  long  and 
stormy  in  its  debate,  all  the  wise  men  speaking,  but  no 
one  giving  such  counsel  as  the  others  would  accept.  At 
last  a  young  warrior  rose  and  said  that  he  had  watched, 
and  that  it  was  true  that  the  trader  had  a  black  water 
which  he  gave  the  chief  and  warrior  to  drink;  for  he  had 
made  a  hole  in  the  wall  of  the  trader's  store  and  through 
it  saw  them  drinking  the  black  water.  He  advised  them 
to  bring  the  trader  and  warrior  before  them,  and  he  would 
accuse  them  to  their  face  of  what  he  had  seen,  and  if  they 
denied  the  truth  he  would  fight  them. 

"  This  speech  was  received  with  great  satisfaction,  and 
the  young  chief  at  once  sent  some  warriors  to  fetch  the 
trader  and  their  brother. 

"When  they  were  come  into  the  council  and  seated, 


246  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

the  young  warrior  repeated  all  he  had  said,  and  asked  if 
it  were  not  true  that  they  would  fight  him. 

"  The  Avarrior  who  was  first  asked  rose  up  and  said  the 
young  warrior  lied,  and  that  lie  was  ready  to  fight  him: 
but  when  the  trader  was  told  to  stand  up  and  answer,  he, 
seeing  there  Avas  no  use  in  denying  the  matter,  confessed 
all.  He  said  the  black  water  was  given  him  by  the  white 
people,  a  great  many  of  whom  drank  it,  and  it  made  them 
behave  as  they  had  seen  the  chief  and  the  warrior  do.  He 
also  told  them  that  after  a  man  drank  of  it  he  felt  happy, 
laughed  and  sang,  and  when  he  lay  down  he  dreamed 
pleasant  dreams  and  slew  his  enemies. 

"The  curiosity  of  the  warriors  was  greatly  excited  and 
the  young  chief  bade  the  trader  go  and  bring  some  of  his 
black  water,  that  they  might  taste  it.  He  was  about  to 
depart  when  the  young  warrior  who  had  before  spoken 
rose  and  desired  him  to  be  seated,  when  he  said:  'The 
warriors  heard  my  speech,  and  it  was  good.  The  brother, 
however,  when  I  asked  him  if  he  would  tell  the  council 
the  truth,  said  I  lied,  and  he  would  fight  me.  Let  us 
now  go  out  of  the  village  and  fight.' 

"The  young  chief  asked  the  drunkard  if  he  had  any- 
thing to  saj-,  when  he  rose  and  addressed  the  council  as 
follows :  — 

"  'Oh,  my  brethren,  it  is  true  that  I  have  drunk  of  the 
black  water,  and  that  I  have  lied.  When  the  trader  first 
gave  it  to  me  to  drink,  he  made  me  promise  that  I  would 
never  tell  what  it  was,  or  where  I  got  it,  and  he  has  many 
times  since  said  if  I  told  any  one  he  would  never  give  me 
any  more  to  drink.  Oh,  my  brethren,  the  black  water  is 
most  wonderful,  and  I  have  come  to  love  it  better  than 
my  life,  or  the  truth.  Tlie  fear  of  never  having  any  more 
of  it  to  drink  made  me  lie,  and  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say  but  that  I  am  ready  to  figlit. ' 

"  Then  the  council  adjourned,  and  every  one  went  out 


SCENERY   ON   THE   TRAIL  2-47 

to  see  the  warriors  fight.  They  were  both  men  of  great 
skill  and  bravery,  and  the  whole  village  came  to  see  the 
battle.  He  who  drank  the  black  water  was  the  best  spears- 
man  in  the  tribe,  and  every  one  expected  to  see  the  other 
warrior  killed. 

"The  spears  were  brought,  and  when  they  were  given 
to  the  combatants  it  was  seen  that  the  hand  of  him  who 
had  lied  shook  so  he  could  hardly  hold  his  spear.  At  this 
his  friends  rallied  him,  and  asked  him  if  he  was  afraid. 
He  replied  that  his  heart  was  brave,  but  that  his  hand 
trembled,  though  not  with  fear,  for  it  had  shook  so  for 
many  days. 

"Then  the  battle  began,  and  at  the  second  throw  of 
the  spears  he  with  the  trembling  hand  was  clove  through 
the  heart,  and  killed  instantly,  while  the  other  warrior 
did  not  receive  a  wound. 

"  After  the  fight  was  over,  the  warriors  all  went  to  the 
trader's  lodge,  and  he  brought  in  a  pail  more  than  a  quart 
of  the  black  water,  which  he  gave  in  small  quantities  to 
each  warrior.  When  they  had  swallowed  it,  they  began 
to  dance  and  sing,  and  many  lay  down  on  the  ground  and 
slept  as  though  they  were  dead.  Next  day  they  came 
again  and  asked  for  more  black  water ;  and  so  they  came 
each  day,  dancing  and  singing,  for  more  than  a  week. 

"One  morning  the  trader  said  he  would  give  them  no 
more  black  water  unless  they  j^aid  him  for  it,  and  this 
they  did.  The  price  was  at  first  one  robe  for  each  sup 
sufficient  to  make  them  sleep,  but,  as  the  black  water 
became  scarce,  two  robes,  and  finally  three  were  paid  for 
a  sleep.  Then  the  trader  said  he  had  no  more  except  a 
little  for  himself,  and  this  he  would  not  sell;  but  the 
warriors  begged  so  hard  for  some  he  gave  them  a  sleep  for 
many  robes.  Even  the  body-robes  were  soon  in  the  hands 
of  the  trader,  and  the  warriors  were  very  poor,  but  still 
they  begged  for  more  black  water,  giving  a  pony  in  ex- 


248  THE   GKEAT   SALT    LAKE   TltAIL 

change  for  each  sleep.  The  trader  took  all  the  ponies, 
and  then  the  warriors  offered  their  squaws,  but  there  was 
]io  more  black  water,  and  the  trader  said  he  would  go  and 
fetch  some. 

"He  packed  all  the  robes  on  the  ponies  and  was  about 
to  set  out,  when  a  warrior  made  a  speech,  saying  that  now 
that  he  had  all  their  robes  and  ponies,  and  they  were  very 
poor,  the  trader  Avas  going  away  and  would  never  return, 
for  they  had  nothing  more  to  give  him.  So  the  warriors 
said  he  should  not  depart,  and  ordered  him  to  unpack  the 
ponies.  The  trader  told  them  he  would  soon  return  with 
plenty  of  black  water,  and  give  it  to  them  as  he  did  at 
hrst.  Many  of  the  warriors  were  willing  that  he  should 
depart,  but  others  said  no,  and  one  declared  that  he  had 
plenty  of  black  water  still  left  and  was  going  off  to  trade 
with  their  enemies,  the  Sioux.  This  created  great  ex- 
citement, and  the  trader's  store  and  all  his  packs  Avere 
searched,  but  no  black  water  found.  Still  the  warriors 
asserted  that  he  liad  it,  and  that  it  was  hidden  away. 
The  warriors  declared  that  they  would  kill  him  unless  he 
instantly  told  them  Avhere  he  had  hid  it,  and  upon  his  not 
])eing  able  to  do  so,  they  rushed  into  his  lodge  and  mur- 
dered him  before  the  eyes  of  his  squaw,  tearing  off  his 
scalp  and  stamping  upon  his  bod}^  This  so  alarmed  the 
Avhite  squaw  that  she  attempted  to  run  out  of  the  lodge, 
and,  as  she  came  to  the  door,  a  warrior  struck  her  on  the 
head  with  his  tomahawk  and  she  fell  down  as  though  she 
were  dead. 

"The  chief  made  a  great  speech,  saying  that  now,  as 
the  trader  was  dead,  they  would  burn  his  lodge  and  take 
back  all  their  robes  and  ponies.  So  the  lodge  was  fired, 
and  as  it  burned  a  Crow  squaw  saw  by  its  light  the  white 
squaw  lying  before  the  door,  and  that  she  was  not  dead, 
and  she  took  her  to  her  lodge,  sewed  up  her  wounds,  and 
gave  her  something  to  eat.     The  squaw  lived  and  got  well, 


SCENERY   ON   THE   TRAIL  24S 

but  she  was  crazy  and  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  a  war- 
rior, believing  that  every  one  who  came  near  her  was 
going  to  kill  her. 

"  One  day  the  white  squaw  was  missing,  and  the  whole 
village  turned  out  to  look  for  her.  They  followed  her 
tracks  far  down  the  river,  but  could  not  find  her.  Some 
women  out  gathering  berries  a  few  days  afterward  said 
the  white  squaw  came  to  them  and  asked  for  food,  show- 
ing them  at  the  same  time  where  she  was  hiding  in  the 
bluffs  near  by.  She  begged  them  not  to  tell  the  warriors 
where  she  was,  or  they  would  come  and  kill  her.  The 
squaws  tried  to  dissuade  her  from  a  notion  so  foolish,  but 
they  could  not  get  her  to  return  to  the  village. 

"Every  day  the  squaws  went  and  took  her  food,  and 
she  lived  for  many  months,  no  one  knowing  where  she 
was  but  the  women.  When  the  warriors  came  about  she 
hid  away,  and  would  not  stir  out  until  they  were  gone. 
One  day,  however,  a  warrior  out  hunting  antelope  came 
suddenly  upon  her  and  she  fled  away,  but  he  followed  her, 
wishing  to  bring  her  to  the  village.  All  day  she  ran  over 
the  hills,  and  at  night  the  warrior  came  back,  being  unable 
to  catch  her.  She  was  never  seen  again,  and  what  became 
of  her  is  not  known,  although  it  is  likely  she  died  of  hun- 
ger, or  that  the  wild  beasts  destroyed  her. 

"Ever  after,  when  the  Indians  came  here  to  camp,  they 
told  the  story  of  the  crazy  woman,  and  the  place  became 
known  as  the  'place  of  the  crazy  woman,'  and  the  name 
of  Big  Beard  was  almost  entirely  forgotten." 

Laramie  Plains  present  a  broad  bottom  on  both  sides  of 
the  river,  comprising  about  twelve  hundred  square  miles, 
bounded  on  the  north  and  east  by  the  Black  Hills,  on  the 
south  by  a  "divide"  of  arenaceous  rock,  embedded  in 
marl  and  white  clay,  almost  barren  of  verdure,  while  on 
the  west  are  the  beautiful  Medicine  Bow  Mountains. 
The  southern   portion  of   these  plains   is   watered  by  a 


250  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

succession  of  streams  wliicli  rise  in  the  mountains,  some 
of  them  discliarging  their  volume  into  the  Laramie  River, 
others  sinking  in  the  sand  —  a  characteristic  of  mari}' 
creeks  and  so-called  rivers  of  the  central  region  of  the 
continent. 

The  northern  portion  of  these  vast  prairies  is  a  high 
tal)leland,  devoid  of  water,  its  soil  mixed  with  clay  and 
sand,  but  producing  the  grass  peculiar  to  the  other  plains 
region.  Toward  the  southeastern  extremit}',  at  the  foot 
of  an  isolated  mountain,  is  a  salt  lake  of  considerable 
dimensions;  several  other  sheets  of  water  are  also  to  be 
seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Medicine  Bow  Mountains,  all 
of  which  are  strongly  impregnated  with  mineral  salts. 
The  Laramie  River  traces  its  course  through  the  whole 
extent,  rising  in  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Medicine 
Bow  Mountains,  and  empties  into  the  North  Platte,  at 
Fort  Laramie. 

Laramie  Peak  was  the  guiding  hill  that  emigrants  first 
saw  of  the  far-famed  western  mountains,  —  especially  its 
snow-covered  crest,  a  veritable  beacon,  its  sunnnit  glis- 
tening in  the  morning  sun  as  its  rays  fell  upon  it,  the 
majestic  hill  ever  pointing  out  the  direction  which  the 
earnest  pilgrims  should  travel. 

The  existence  of  a  large  lake  of  salt  water  somewhere 
amid  the  wilds  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  seems  to 
have  been  vaguely  known  as  long  ago  as  two  hundred 
years.     As  early  as  May,  1689,  the  Baron  La  Hontan,^ 

1  The  unfrocked  monk,  Geudeville.  who  travelled  extensively  in  Canada, 
and  published  in  London,  in  1703,  his  Xeio  Voyaf/es  to  North  America, 
under  the  nom  de  plume  of  Baron  La  Hontan.  It  is  doubted  how  far  this 
jolly  soldier  and  boti  vivant  travelled  west.  He  had  served  at  various 
points  in  the  interior,  and  leaves  no  reason  to  doubt  his  presence,  at 
various  times,  at  what  was  Fort  Gratiot,  Michilimackinac,  Green  Bay, 
and  other  points  in  the  region  of  the  Upper  Lakes.  It  is  the  opinion  of 
the  historians,  however,  that  he  w^ent  no  farther  than  Green  Bay.  There 
can  be  but  little  question  of  the  character  of  the  fiction  he  attempted  to 


SCENERY   ON   THE   TRAIL  251 

lord-lieutenant  of  the  French  colony  at  Placentia,  in 
New  Foundland,  wrote  an  account  of  discoveries  in  this 
region,  which  was  published  in  the  English  language  in 
1735. 

In  the  letter,  which  is  dated  at  "Missilimakinac,"  he 
gives  "an  account  of  the  author's  departure  from  and 
return  to  Missilimakinac;  a  description  of  the  Bay  of 
Puants  and  its  villages;  an  ample  description  of  the 
beavers,  followed  by  the  journal  of  a  remarkable  voy- 
age upon  Long  River,  and  a  map  of  the  adjacent 
country. 

"  Leaving  Mackinaw,  he  passed  into  Green  Bay,  which 
he  calls  'the  Bay  of  Pouteoutamois, '  and  arrived  at  the 
mouth  of  Fox  River,  which  he  describes  as  'a  little, 
deep  sort  of  a  river,  which  disembogues  at  a  place  where 
the  water  of  the  lake  swells  three  feet  high  in  twelve 
hours,  and  decreases  as  much  in  the  same  compass  of 
time.' 

"  The  villages  of  the  Sakis,  Pouteouatamis,  and  some 
Malominis  are  seated  on  the  side  of  that  river,  and  the 
Jesuits  have  a  house,  or  college,  built  upon  it.  Ascend- 
ing the  Fox  River,  called  'the  river  of  Puants,'  he  came 
to  a  village  of  Kikapous,  which  stands  on  the  brink  of  a 
little  lake,  in  which  the  savages  fish  great  quantities  of 
pikes  and  gudgeons.     [Lake  Winnebago?] 

"Still  ascending  the  river,  he  passed  through  the  'little 
lake  of  the  Malominis,'  the  sides  of  which  'are  covered 
with  a  sort  of  oats,  which  grow  in  tufts,  with  a  small 
stalk,  and  of  which  the  savages  reap  plentiful  crops,'  and 
at  length  arrived  at  the  land  carriage  of  Ouisconsinc, 
which  '  we  finished  in  two  days ;  that  is,  we  left  the  river 

palm  off  on  his  readers.  His  work  is  a  literary  curiosity,  unexcelled 
in  bibliography,  for  its  bold  assumption  in  attempting  to  impose  on  a 
credulous  age  a  tale  of  fancied  adventures  and  fictitious  observation.  He 
was  a  veritable  Baron  Munchausen. 


252  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

Puants,  and  transported  our  canoes  and  baggage  to  the 
river  Ouisconsinc,  which  is  not  above  three-quarters  of  a 
league  distant,  or  thereabouts.'  Descending  the  Wiscon- 
sin, in  four  days  he  reached  its  mouth,  and  hinded  on  an 
ishmd  in  the  river  Mississippi. 

"So  far,  the  journey  of  the  Baron  La  Hontan  is  phiin 
enough;  but  beyond   this  point  it  is  rather  apocryphal. 
He  states  that  he  ascended  the  Mississippi  for  nine  days, 
when  he  'entered  the  mouth  of  the  Long  River,  which 
looks  like  a  lake  full  of  bulrushes.'     He  sailed  up  this 
river  for  six  weeks,  passing  through  various  nations  of 
savages,  of  which  a  most  fanciful  description  is  given. 
At  length,  determined  by  the  advance  of  the  season,  he 
abandoned  the  intention  of  reaching  the  head  of  the  river, 
and  returned  to  Canada,  having  at  the  termination  of  his 
voyage  first  'fixed  a  long  pole,  with  the  arms  of  France 
done  upon  a  plate  of  lead. '     The  following  is  his  descrip- 
tion of   the  'Long   River':    'You  must   know  that   the 
stream  of  the  Long  River  is  all  along  very  slack  and  eas}^ 
abating  for  about  three  leagues  between  the  fourteenth  and 
fifteenth  villages;  for  there,  indeed,  its  current  may  be 
called  rapid.     The  channel  is  so  straight  that  it  scarce 
winds  at  all  from  the  head  of  the  lake.     'Tis   true   'tis 
not  very  pleasant,  for  most  of  its  banks  have  a  dismal 
prospect,  and  the  water  itself  has  an  ugly  taste ;  but  then 
its  usefulness  atones  for  such  inconveniences,  for  'tis  navi- 
gable with  the  greatest  ease,  and  will  bear  barks  of  fifty 
tons,  till  you  come  to  that  place  which  is  marked  with  a 
floiver-de-luce  in  the  map,  and  where  I  put  up  the  post  that 
ray  soldiers  christened  La  Hontan'' s  Limit.'' 

"A  detailed  map  accompanies  this  imaginative  voyage 
up  this  most  imaginary  river.  It  is  represented  as  flow- 
ing east  through  twenty-five  degrees  of  longitude,  numer- 
ous streams  putting  into  it  on  either  side,  with  mountains, 
islands,  villages,  and  domains  of  Indian  tribes,  whose  very 


SCENERY    ON    THE   TRAIL  253 

names  have  at  this  day  sunk  into  oblivion.  The  map  was 
afterward  published,  in  1710,  by  John  Senex,  F.R.S.,  as 
a  part  of  North  America,  corrected  from  the  observations 
communicated  to  the  Royal  Society  at  London  and  the 
Royal  Academy  at  Paris. 

"  This  discovery  of  Baron  La  Hon  tan  excited,  even  at 
that  early  day,  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  speculation 
which  has  proved  so  marked  a  feature  in  the  national 
character.  In  a  work  published  in  1772,  and  entitled 
'A  description  of  the  Province  of  Carolina,  by  the  Span- 
iards called  Florida,  and  by  the  French  La  Louisiane,  by 
Daniel  Cox, '  the  then  proprietary,  the  first  part  of  the  fifth 
chapter  is  devoted  to  'A  new  and  curious  discovery  and 
relation  of  an  easy  communication  between  the  river 
Meschacebe  (Mississippi)  and  the  South  Sea,  which  sepa- 
rates America  from  China,  by  means  of  several  large  rivers 
and  lakes." 

The  existence  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  of  Utah  was 
known  to  the  early  Spanish  voyageurs  under  the  intrepid 
Coronado,  through  stories  told  them  by  the  Indians,  but 
there  is  no  trustworthy  account  of  any  of  them  having 
seen  it.  To  Jim  Bridger,  the  famous  mountaineer  and 
scout,  must  be  accorded  the  honour  of  having  been  the  first 
white  man  to  look  upon  its  brackish  waters.  He  dis- 
covered it  in  the  winter  of  1824-25,  accidentall}',  in 
deciding  a  bet.  The  story  of  this  visit  to  the  Great  Salt 
Lake  comes  down  to  us  by  the  most  reliable  testimony. 
It  appears  that  a  party  of  trappers,  under  the  command  of 
William  H.  Ashley,  one  day  found  themselves  on  Bear 
River,  in  what  is  known  as  Willow  Valley,  and  while 
lying  in  camp  a  discussion  arose  in  relation  to  the  prob- 
able course  of  the  river.  A  wager  was  made,  and  Bridger 
sent  out  to  determine  the  question.  He  paddled  a  long 
distance  and  came  out  on  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  whose 
water  he  tasted  and  found  it  salt.     Having  made  the  dis- 


254  THE   GUEAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

covery  as  to  where  the  Bear  River  emptied,  he  retraced 
liis  lonely  journey  and  reported  the  result  to  his  com- 
panions. 

Upon  his  report  of  the  vast  dimensions  of  the  strange 
inland  body  of  salt  water,  they  all  became  anxious  to  learn 
whether  other  streams  did  not  flow  into  the  lake,  and  if 
so,  there  were  new  fields  in  which  to  try  their  luck  in 
trapping  beaver.  To  learn  the  fact  four  of  them  con- 
structed boats  of  skins,  and  paddling  into  the  lake,  ex- 
plored it. 

Of  course,  it  cannot  be  clearly  proven  that  Old  Jim 
Brido-er  was  the  first  white  man  who  saw  the  Great  Salt 
Lake,  but  all  others  who  have  made  claim  to  its  discovery 
have  not  satisfied  the  demands  of  truth  in  tlieir  particu- 
lars, so  the  honour  must  and  does  rest  upon  Bridger;  for 
no  more  authentic  account  of  its  discovery  can  be  found. 
His  statement  is  corroborated  by  such  men  as  Robert 
Campbell,  of  St.  Louis,  and  other  famous  mountaineers 
of  the  time. 

There  is  a  pretty  piece  of  fiction  connected  with  one  of 
the  claimants  to  its  discovery,  by  the  celebrated  Jim 
Beckwourth,  that  famous  Afro-American,  who  was  chief 
of  the  Crow  Nation.  It  says:  "One  day  in  June,  1822, 
a  beautiful  Lidian  maiden  offered  him  a  pair  of  moccasins 
if  he  would  procure  for  her  an  antelope  skin,  and  bring 
the  animal's  brains  with  it,  in  order  that  she  might  dress 
a  deerskin.  Beckwourth  started  out  in  his  mission,  but 
failed  to  see  any  antelope.  He  did  see  an  Indian  coming 
toward  him,  whose  brains  he  proposed  to  himself  to  take 
to  the  savage  maiden  after  he  had  killed  the  buck,  believ- 
ing that  she  would  never  discover  the  difference,  and  had 
pulled  up  his  rifle  to  fire  when  he  happily  saw  that  his 
supposed  savage  was  William  H.  Ashley,  of  the  American 
Fur  Company,  and  who  told  him  that  he  had  sailed  through 
Green  River  into  the  Great  Salt  Lake." 


SCENERY    ON    THE   TRAIL  255 

It  may  be  true  that  Ashley  did  sail  upon  the  Great  Salt 
Lake  before  Bridger;  but  the  story  lacks  confirmation;  it 
has  not  that  reliable  endorsement  which  Bridger's  claim 
possesses. 

Jedediah  Smith,  another  of  the  famous  coterie  of  old 
trapi^ers,  called  the  lake  Utah,  and  the  river  which  tlows 
into  it  from  the  south  after  the  celebrated  Ashley. 

Much  has  been  given  to  the  world  in  relation  to  the 
vicinity  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  and  the  contiguous  part 
of  Utah  by  the  famous  author,  Washington  Irving,  in 
his  adventures  of  Captain  Bonneville,  but  it  should  be 
taken  cum grano  salis;  for,  as  Bancroft  truthfully  observes: 
"Irving  humoured  the  captain,  whose  vanity  prompted 
him  to  give  his  own  name  to  the  lake,  although  he  had  not 
a  shadow  of  title  to  that  distinction.  Yet  on  Bonneville's 
map  of  the  region,  the  lake  is  jDhi-ii^ly  lettered  '  Bonne- 
ville's Lake.' 

"  Many  old  maps,  dating  from  1795  to  1826,  have  laid 
down  upon  them  an  inland  sea,  or  lake,  together  with 
many  other  strange  rivers  and  creeks,  which  never  had 
au}^  existence  except  in  the  minds  of  their  progenitors, 
taken  from  the  legendary  tales  of  the  old  trappers,  who 
in  turn  got  them  from  the  savages. 

"The  early  emigrants  to  Oregon  and  California  did  not 
travel  within  many  miles  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  so  but 
very  scant}'  reports  are  to  be  found  in  relation  to  the 
country.  General  Fremont,  too,  like  a  great  many  ex- 
plorers, got  puffed  up  with  his  own  importance,  and  when, 
on  the  6th  of  September,  1846,  he  saw  for  the  first  time 
the  Great  Salt  Lake,  he  compares  himself  to  Balboa,  when 
that  famous  Spaniard  gazed  upon  the  Pacific.  Fremont, 
too,  says  that  he  was  the  first  to  sail  upon  its  saline  waters, 
but  again,  as  in  many  of  his  statements,  he  commits  an 
unpardonable  error;  for  Bridger's  truthful  story  of  the  old 
trappers  who  explored  it  in  search  of  streams  flowing  into 


256 


THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


it,  in  the  hopes  of  enlarging  their  field  of  beaver  trapping, 
antedates  Fremont's  many  years.  "^ 

Captain  Stansbuiy,  of  the  United  States  army,  made 
the  first  survey  of  the  lake  in  1849-50,  Stanslnny  Island 
was  named  after  him;  Gunnison  Island  after  Lieutenant 
Gunnison,  of  hisconnnand;  Fremont's  Island,  after  that 
explorer,  who  first  saw  it  in  1843,  and  called  it  Disap- 
pointment Island. 

Members  of  Captain  Bonneville's  company  first  looked 
upon  the  lake  from  near  the  mouth  of  tlie  Ogden  Kiver, 
in  1833.  His  name  has  been  given  to  a  great  fossil  lake, 
whose  shore  line  may  now  be  seen  throughout  the  neigh- 
bouring valleys,  and  of  which  the  Great  Salt  Lake  is  but 
the  bitter  fragment. 

The  outlet  to  this  vast  ancient  body  of  water  has  been 
shown  by  Professor  Gilbert  to  have  been  at  a  place  now 
called  Red  Rock  Pass. 

1  Bancroft. 


On  m     ^ 

GrcdT  3^/t  Ldkc. 


CHAPTER   XI 


THE     IXDIAX    TKIBES     OF    THE    SALT    LAKE     TRAIL THE     OTOES 

I-E-TAN BLUE-EYES    SHOT    BY    I-E-TAN  —  THE    PAWNEES 

THEIR   TRIBAL    MARK LEGENDS   AND    TRADITIONS HUMAN 

SACRIFICES FOLK-LORE 


7h/o  Sfr/kc. 


HE  Otoes,  once  occu- 
pying the  region  at 
the    mouth    of    the 
Phitte,  were  a  very 
brave  and  interest- 
ing   tribe.      When 
first    known    to    the 
whites,  in  the  early  jiart 
of  the  century,  the  chief  of 
the  nation  was  I-e-tan,  a 
man    of    great    courage, 
excellent  judgment,  and 
crafty,  as  are  always  the  most 
American  savasfes.     His  lead- 


intelligent  of  the  North 
ing  attributes  were  penetration  of  character,  close  ob- 
servation of  everything  that  occurred,  and  a  determination 
to  carry  out  his  ideas,  which  were  remarkable  in  their 
development.  An  old  regular  army  officer,  long  since 
dead,  who  knew  I-e-tan  well  and  spoke  his  language,  said 
that  he  had  known  him  to  form  estimates  of  men,  judi- 
cious, if  not  accurate,  from  half  an  hour's  acquaintance, 
and  without  understanding  a  word  that  was  spoken.  But 
s  257 


*^< 


258  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

beneath  his  calm  exterior  there  burned  a  lava  of  impetu- 
ous passions,  which,  when  strongly  moved,  burst  forth 
with  a  fierce  and  blind  violence. 

I-e-tan  had  the  advantage  of  a  fine  and  commanding 
figure,  so  remarkable,  indeed,  that  once  at  a  dinner,  on  a 
public  occasion,  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  his  health  was 
drunk,  with  a  complimentary  allusion  to  the  lines  from 
Shakespeare :  — 

"  A  combination  and  a  form  indeed, 
Where  every  god  did  seem  to  set  his  seal 
To  give  the  world  assurance  of  a  man." 

In  a  deep  carousal  which  took  place  one  night  in  the 
village,  in  1822,  his  brother,  a  fine  fellow,  named  Blue- 
eyes  (that  colour  being  rare  ^  among  the  Indians),  had  the 
misfortune  to  bite  off  a  small  piece  of  I-e-tan's  nose.  So 
soon  as  he  became  sensible  of  this  irrej^arable  injury,  to 
which,  as  an  Indian,  he  was,  perhaps,  even  more  sensitive 
than  a  white  man,  I-e-tan  burned  with  a  mortal  resent- 
ment. He  retired,  telling  his  brother  that  he  would  kill 
him.  He  got  a  rifle,  returned,  and  deliberately  shot  him 
through  the  heart.  He  had  found  Blue-eyes  leaning  with 
folded  arms  against  a  pillar  of  his  lodge,  and  thus,  with 
a  heroic  stoicism,  which  has  been  rightly  attributed  as 
a  characteristic  of  the  race,  without  a  murmur,  or  the 
quiver  of  a  muscle,  he  submitted  to  his  cruel  fate. 

Then  was  I-e-tan  seized  with  a  violent  remorse,  and 
exhibited  the  redeeming  traits  of  repentance  and  incon- 
solable grief,  and  of  greatness,  in  the  very  constancy  of 
the  absorbing  sentiment.  He  retired  from  all  intercourse 
with  his  race,  abstaining  wholly  from  drink,  for  which  he 
had  a  propensity,  and,  as  if  under  a  vow,  he  went  naked 

1  Although  very  rare  indeed,  among  all  other  tribes,  it  vras  the  leading 
physical  characteristic  with  the  Mandans,  a  nation  long  since  extinct,  who 
occupied  the  region  at  the  mouth  of  the  Yellowstone. 


INDIAN    TRIBES    ON    THE   TRAIL  259 

for  nearly  two  years.  He  also  meditated  suicide,  and  was 
probabl}'^  only  prevented  from  committing  it  by  the  influ- 
ence of  a  white  friend.  He  sought  honourable  death  in 
desperate  encounters  with  all  the  enemies  he  could  find, 
and  in  this  period  acquired  his  name,  or  title,  from  a  very 
destructive  attack  he  made  upon  a  party  of  another 
tribe.  He  lived  a  year  or  two  with  the  Pawnees,  acquir- 
ing perfectly  their  difficult  language,  and  attaining  a  great 
influence  over  them,  which  he  never  lost.  After  several 
years  of  such  penance,  I-e-tan  revisited  the  villages  of  his 
nation,  and,  in  1830,  on  the  death  of  La  Criniere,  his 
elder  brother,  succeeded  him  as  principal  chief. 

I-e-tan  married  many  of  the  finest  girls  of  his  own 
and  neighbouring  tribes,  but  never  had  any  children.  Lat- 
terly one  of  his  wives  presented  him  with  a  male  child, 
which  was  born  with  teeth.  I-e-tan  pronounced  it  a 
special  interposition  of  the  Great  Spirit,  of  M^iich  this 
extraordinary  sign  was  proof. 

I-e-tan  was  the  last  chief  who  could  so  far  resist  the 
ruinous  influence  of  the  increasing  communication  of  his 
tribe  with  the  villanous,  the  worse  than  barbarous,  whites 
of  the  extreme  frontier  as  to  keep  the  young  men  under 
a  tolerable  control,  but  his  death  proved  a  signal  for 
license  and  disorder. 

Intemperance  was  the  great  fault  in  I-e-tan's  character, 
and  the  cause  of  his  greatest  misfortune  and  crime.  It  led 
to  his  violent  death.  The  circumstances  of  this  tragedy 
are  worthy  of  record,  if  only  that  they  develop  some  strong 
traits  of  aboriginal  character.  They  are  as  follows :  In 
April,  1837,  accompanied  by  his  two  youngest  wives,  at  a 
trading-house  at  the  mouth  of  the  Platte,  he  indulged  in 
one  of  his  most  violent  fits  of  drunkenness,  and  in  this  con- 
dition, on  a  dark  and  inclement  night,  drove  his  wives  out 
of  doors.  Two  men  of  his  tribe,  who  witnessed  these  cir- 
cumstances, persuaded  the  women  to  fly  in  their  company. 


260  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

One  of  these  ineu  luul  formerly  been  dangerously  stabbed 
by  I-e-tan.  Actuated  by  hatred,  calculating  the  chief's 
power  was  on  the  decline,  and  depending  on  the  strength 
of  their  connections,  which  were  influential,  the  seducers 
became  tired  of  living  out  in  hunting-camps  and  else- 
where, and  determined  to  return  to  the  village  and  face  it 
out.  Such  cases  of  elopement  are  not  very  frequent;  but 
after  a  much  longer  absence  the  parties  generally  become 
silently  reconciled,  if  necessary,  through  the  arrangement 
of  friends.  I-e-tan  said,  however,  that  it  was  not  only  a 
personal  insult  and  injury,  bat  an  evidence  of  defiance  of 
his  poAver,  and  tiiat  he  would  live  or  die  the  chief  of  the 
Otoes.  His  enemies  had  prepared  their  friends  for  re- 
sistance, and  I-e-tan  armed  himself  for  the  conflict.  He 
sought  and  found  the  young  men  in  the  skirts  of  the  vil- 
lage, near  some  trees  where  their  supporters  were  con- 
cealed. I-e-tan  addressed  the  man  whom  he  had  formerly 
wounded :  "  Stand  aside !  I  do  not  wish  to  kill  you  ;  I  have 
perhaps  injured  you  enough."  The  fellow  imn?^diately 
fled.  He  then  fired  upon  the  other,  and  missed  him.  As 
the  white  man  was  about  to  return  the  fire,  he  was  shot 
down  by  a  nephew  of  I-e-tan's  from  a  great  distance. 
I-e-tan  then  drew  a  pistol,  jumped  astride  his  fallen 
enemy,  and  was  about  to  blow  out  his  brains,  when  the 
interpreter,  Dorian,  hoping  even  then  to  stop  bloodshed, 
struck  up  his  pistol,  which  was  discharged  in  the  air,  and 
seized  him  around  the  body  and  arms.  At  this  instant 
the  wounded  man,  writhing  in  the  agony  of  death,  dis- 
charged his  rifle  at  random.  The  ball  shattered  Dorian's 
arm  and  broke  both  of  I-e-tan's,  but  the  latter,  being 
then  unloosened,  sprang  and  stamped  upon  the  body, 
and  called  upon  his  sister,  an  old  woman,  to  beat  out  his 
brains.  This  she  did  with  an  axe,  with  which  she  had 
come  running  with  his  friends  and  nephews  from  the  vil- 
lage.    At  this  instant' — Dorian  being  out  of  the  Avay  —  a 


INDIAN   TRIBES    ON    THE   TKAIL  261 

volley  was  fired  at  I-e-tan,  and  five  balls  penetrated  his 
body.  Then  his  nephews,  coming  too  late  to  his  support, 
took  swift  vengeance.  They  fired  at  his  now  flying  ene^ 
mies,  and,  although  they  were  in  motion,  nearly  two 
hundred  yards  distant,  three  of  them  fell  dead. 

I-e-tan  was  conveyed  to  his  lodge  in  the  village,  where 
being  surrounded  by  many  relations  and  friends,  he  de- 
plored the  condition  of  the  nation,  and  warned  them 
against  the  dangers  to  which  it  was  exposed.  He  assured 
them  most  positively  that  if  he  willed  it,  he  could  con- 
tinue to  live,  but  that  many  of  the  Ottoes  had  become 
such  dogs  that  he  was  weary  of  governing  them,  and  that 
his  arms  being  broken,  he  could  no  longer  be  a  great  war- 
rior. He  gave  some  messages  for  his  friend,  the  agent, 
who  was  exj^ected  at  the  village,  and  then  turning  to  a 
bystander,  told  him  he  had  heard  that  day  that  he  had  a 
bottle  of  whiskey,  and  ordered  him  to  bring  it.  This 
being  done,  he  caused  it  to  be  poured  down  his  throat, 
and  when  drunk  he  sang  his  death  song  and  died. 

The  Pawnees  were  the  next  considerable  tribe  on  the 
Salt  Lake  Trail,  west  of  the  Otoes.  The  Pawnee  ter- 
ritory, as  late  as  sixty  years  ago,  extended  from  the 
Niobrara,  south  to  the  Arkansas.  This  territory  embraced 
a  large  portion  of  what  is  now  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  but 
it  must  not  be  supposed  for  a  moment  that  they  held  un- 
disputed possession  of  this  territory.  On  their  north  a 
constant  war  was  waged  against  them  by  the  Dakotas,  or 
Sioux,  while  on  the  south  every  tribe,  comprising  the 
Ooages,  the  Comanches,  the  Arapahoes,  and  the  Kiowas, 
were  equally  relentless  in  their  hostility.  In  fact,  as  far 
back  as  their  history  and  traditions  date,  the  Pawnees 
Avere  constantly  on  the  defensive  against  the  almost  num- 
berless hereditary  enemies  by  whicli  they  were  surrounded. 
No  greater  proof  of  their  prowess  is  needed  than  the  state- 
ment that  during  all  the  years  of  their  continual  warfare, 


2G2  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

they  held  possession  of  their  vast  and  phenomenally  rich 
huiiting-gronnds.  In  18B8,  by  treaty  they  surrendered  to 
the  United  States  all  of  their  territory  south  of  the  l*latte 
River.  In  1858  they  gave  up  their  remaining  territory, 
exce[)ting  a  strip  thirty  miles  long  and  fifteen  miles  wide 
upon  the  Loup  Fork  of  the  Platte.  In  1874  they  sold 
this  last  of  their  original  possessions  to  the  United 
States  and  were  placed  upon  a  Reservation  in  the  Indian 
Territoiy. 

In  the  traditions  of  the  several  bands  it  is  related  that 
the  Pawnees  originally  came  from  the  south. 

The  tribal  mark  of  the  Pawnee  is  a  scalp-lock,  nearly 
erect,  having  the  appearance  of  a  horn.  In  order  to  keep 
it  in  its  upright  position,  it  was  filled  with  vermilion  or 
some  other  pigment.  It  is  claimed  b}-  those  who  have 
made  a  special  study  of  this  tribe  that  the  name  Pawnee 
is  derived  from  pa-}-ik-i,  a  horn. 

LcAvis  and  Clarke  found  them  above  tlie  mouth  of  the 
Cheyenne  River.  Both  these  early  explorers  state  in  their 
Itinerary  that  the  Pawnee  women  Avere  very  handsome. 
At  that  date  they  were  very  friendlj^  toward  tlie  United 
States,  and  remained  so  for  a  great  many  years.  Seven- 
teen or  eighteen  years  afterward  they  became  fearfully 
hostile.  This  remarkable  change  in  their  attitude  toward 
the  government  has  been  attributed  to  the  action  of  the 
Northwestern  Fur  Company,  which  spared  no  efforts  to 
divert  the  trade  of  the  Pawnee  region  from  the  Missouri 
Fur  Company.  Their  first  outbreak  was  in  1823,  when 
they  made  a  raid  upon  some  boats  of  the  last-mentioned 
company,  killing  and  wounding  a  number  of  their  men. 
In  consequence  of  this  overt  act,  an  expedition  under 
Colonel  Leavenworth,  in  conjunction  with  six  hundred 
friendly  Dakotas,  was  organized  at  Council  l>luffs,  and 
sent  against  them.  In  August  of  that  same  year  a  treaty 
of  peace  was  made  with  them,  but  nine  years  afterward 


INDIAN   TRIBES   ON   THE   TRAIL  263 

Catliii  found  them  so  hostile   that  it  was  dangerous  to 
attempt  any  intercourse  with  them.^ 

All  of  the  earl}^  French  writers  have  much  to  say  of  the 
Pawnees,  but  there  is  not  space  in  this  book  to  quote 
the  many  interesting  facts  contained  in  their  writings. 
Their  number  in  the  early  years  of  the  century,  according 
to  various  authors,  differs  materially,  one  enumerating 
them  as  high  as  twenty-five  thousand,  another  as  low  as 
six  thousand.  In  1838  the  tribe  suffered  terribly  from 
smallpox,  which  it  is  alleged  was  communicated  to  it  by 
Dakota  women  they  had  taken  as  prisoners.  The  mortality 
among  the  grown  persons  was  not  very  great,  but  that  of 
the  children  was  enormous.  In  1879,  according  to  the 
ofificial  census  of  the  Indian  Bureau,  the  tribe  had  been 
reduced  to  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  fort3^ 

One  eminent  author,  Mr.  John  B.  Dunbar,  very  cor- 
rectly says :  "  The  causes  of  this  continual  decrease  are 
several.  The  most  constantly  acting  influence  has  been 
the  deadl}^  warfare  with  surrounding  tribes.  Probably 
not  a  year  in  this  century  has  been  without  losses  from 
this  source,  though  only  occasionally  have  they  been 
marked  with  considerable  disasters.  In  1832  the  Ski-di 
band  suffered  a  severe  defeat  on  the  Arkansas  from  the 
Comanches.  In  1847  a  Dakota  war-partj-,  numbering  over 
seven  hundred,  attacked  a  village  occupied  by  two  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  Pawnees,  and  succeeded  in  killing  eighty- 
three.  In  1854  a  party  of  one  hundred  and  thirteen  were 
cut  off  by  an  overwhelming  body  of  Cheyennes  and  Kiowas, 
and  killed  almost  to  a  man.  In  1873  a  hunting  party  of 
about  four  hundred,  two  hundred  and  thirteen  of  whom 
were  men,  on  the  Republican,  while  in  the  act  of  killing  a 
herd  of  buffalo,  were  attacked  by  nearly  six  hundred  Da- 
kota warriors,  and  eighty-six  were  killed.  But  the  usual 
policy  of  their  enemies  has  been  to  cut  off  individuals,  or 

1  This  band  was  known  as  the  Arikaras  —  not  the  Pawnees  proper. 


264  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

small  scattered  parties,  while  engaged  in  the  chase  or  in 
tilling  isolated  corn  patches.  Losses  of  this  kind,  trifling 
when  taken  singly,  have  in  the  aggregate  borne  heavilj  on 
the  tribe.  It  would  seem  that  such  losses,  annually  recur- 
ring, should  have  taught  them  to  be  more  on  their  guard. 
But  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  struggle  has  not  been  in 
one  direction,  against  one  enemy.  The  Dakotas,  Crows, 
Kiowas,  Cheyennes,  Arapahoes,  Comanches,  Osages,  and 
Kansans  have  faithfully  aided  each  other,  though  unde- 
sio-nedly  in  the  main,  in  this  crusade  of  extermination 
ao-ainst  the  Pawnees.  It  has  been,  in  the  most  emphatic 
sense,  a  struggle  of  the  one  against  the  many.  With  the 
possible  exception  of  the  Dakotas,  there  is  much  reason 
to  believe  that  the  animosity  of  these  tribes  has  been 
acerbated  by  the  galling  tradition  of  disastrous  defeats 
which  Pawnee  prowess  had  inflicted  upon  themselves  in 
past  generations.  To  them  the  last  seventy  years  have 
been  a  carnival  of  revenge." 

The  Pawnees  once  were  a  great  people.  They  had  every- 
thing that  heart  could  wish.  Their  corn  and  buffalo  gave 
them  food,  clothing,  and  shelter.  They  were  very  light- 
hearted  and  contented  when  at  peace ;  in  war  they  were 
cunning,  fierce,  and  generally  successful.  Their  very 
name  was  a  terror  to  their  enemies. 

When  the  Pawnees  of  the  Platte  were  sorely  afflicted 
with  smallpox,  and  when  they  were  visited  by  their  agent, 
he  depicts  in  his  report  the  most  horrible  scenes.  The 
poor  wretches  were  utterly  ignorant  of  any  remedy  or 
alleviation.  Some  sank  themselves  to  the  mouth  in  the 
river,  and  awaited  death  which  was  thus  hastened.  The 
living  could  not  always  protect  the  dying  and  dead  from 
the  wolves.  Their  chief.  Capote  Bleu,  once  exclaimed  to 
an  American  officer:  "Oh  my  father,  how  many  glorious 
battles  we  might  have  fought,  and  not  lost  so  many 
men  I 


INDIAN    TRIBES    ON    THE   TRAIL  265 

The  Pawnees  were  probably  the  most  degraded,  in  point 
of  morals,  of  all  the  Western  tribes ;  they  were  held  in 
such  contempt  by  the  other  tribes  that  none  would  make 
treaties  with  them.  They  were  populous  at  one  time, 
and  were  the  most  inveterate  enemies  of  the  whites,  kill- 
ing them  wherever  they  met. 

The  Pawnees  in  reality  comprised  five  bands,  which 
constituted  the  entire  nation:  The  Grand  Pawnee  Band; 
the  Republican  Pawnee  Band;  Pawnee  Loups,  or  Wolf 
Pawnees  ;  Pawnee  Picts,  or  Tattooed  Pawnees ;  and  Black 
Pawnees.  Each  land  was  independent  and  under  its  own 
chief,  but  for  mutual  defence,  or  in  other  cases  of  urgent 
necessity,  they  united  in  one  body,  and  in  the  early  days 
on  the  plains  could  raise  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand 
warriors. 

They  were,  perhaps,  the  most  cruel  of  all  Indian  nations. 
They  evinced  a  demoniacal  delight  in  inflicting  the  most 
exquisite  tortures  upon  their  captives.  They  were  im- 
pure, both  in  their  ordinary  conversation  and  in  their 
daily  conduct.  Still,  they  had  some  redeeming  qualities. 
The  recognition  of  the  claims  of  their  relations  might  be 
emulated  by  our  higher  civilization ;  so  impressed  upon 
their  natures  was  the  duty  to  those  who  were  related  to 
them,  that  their  language  contains  a  proverb:  "Ca-si-ri 
pi-rus,  he  wi-ti  ti-ruk-ta-pi-di-hu-ru, — Why,  even  the 
worms,  they  love  each  other — much  more  should  men." 
They  were  also  very  hospitable,  very  sociable,  and  fond 
of  telling  stories.  They  really  had  a  literature  of  stories 
and  songs,  which,  if  they  could  be  gathered  in  their  en- 
tirety, would  make  a  large  volume. 

"One  form  of  sacrifice  formerly  practised  in  the  tribe, 
or  rather  in  one  band, —  for  the  other  bands  emphatically 
disclaimed  any  share  in  the  barbarous  rite,  — stood  apart 
in  unha[)py  prominence.  This  was  the  offering  of  human 
sacrifices  (their  captives)  ;  not  burning  them  as  an  expres- 


266  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

sion  of  embittered  reveiif^e,  bat  saciiticing  them  as  a  reli- 
gious ordinance.  What  the  origin  of  this  terrible  practice 
was  the  Pawnees  could  never  detinitely  explain.  The  rite 
was  of  long  standing  evidently.  Tlie  sacrifice  was  made 
to  the  morning  star,  '0-pir-i-kut, '  which,  with  the  Ski-di, 
especially,  was  an  object  of  superstitious  veneration.  It 
was  always  about  corn-planting  time,  and  the  design  of 
the  bloody  ordeal  was  to  conciliate  that  being  and  secure 
a  good  crop;  hence  it  has  been  supposed  that  the  morning 
star  was  regarded  by  them  as  presiding  over  agriculture, 
but  it  was  not  so.  They  sacrificed  to  that  star  simply  be- 
cause they  feared  it,  imagining  that  it  exerted  a  malign 
influence  if  not  well  disposed.  The  sacrifice,  however, 
was  not  an  annual  one;  it  was  only  made  when  special 
occurrences  were  interpreted  as  calling  for  it.  The  victim 
was  usually  a  girl,  or  young  woman,  taken  from  their 
enemies.  The  more  beautiful  the  unfortunate  was,  the 
more  acceptable  the  offering.  When  it  had  been  deter- 
mined in  a  council  of  the  band  to  make  the  sacrifice,  the 
person  was  selected,  if  possible,  some  months  beforehand, 
and  placed  in  charge  of  the  medicine-men,  who  treated  her 
with  the  utmost  kindness.  She  was  fed  plentifully  that 
she  might  become  fleshy,  and  kept  in  entire  ignorance  of 
her  impending  doom.  Daring  this  time  she  was  made  to 
eat  alone,  lest  having  by  chance  eaten  with  any  one  of  the 
band,  she  would  by  the  law  of  hospitality  become  that 
person's  guest,  and  he  be  bound  to  protect  her.  On  the 
morning  of  the  day  finally  fixed  for  the  ordeal,  she  was 
led  from  lodge  to  lodge  throughout  the  village,  begging 
wood  and  paint,  not  knowing  that  these  articles  were  for 
her  own  immolation.  Whenever  a  stick  of  wood  or  por- 
tion of  red  or  black  paint  was  given  her,  it  was  taken  by 
the  medicine-men  attending,  and  sent  to  the  spot  selected 
for  the  final  rite.  A  sufficient  quantity  of  these  materials 
having  been  collected,  the  ceremony  was  begun  by  a  solemn 


INDIAN    TRIBES    ON    THE   TRAIL  267 

conclave  of  all  the  medicine-men.  Smoking  the  great 
medicine  pipe,  displaying  the  contents  of  the  medicine 
bundle,  dancing,  praying,  etc.,  were  repeated  at  different 
stages  of  the  proceedings.  A  framework  of  two  posts, 
about  four  and  a  half  feet  apart,  was  set  in  the  ground, 
and  to  them  two  horizontal  crosspieces,  at  a  height  of 
two  and  seven  feet,  were  lirmly  fastened.  Between  the 
posts  a  slow  lire  was  built.  At  nightfall  the  victim  was 
disrobed  and  the  torture  began.  After  the  sickening 
sight  had  continued  long  enough,  an  old  man,  previously 
appointed,  discharged  an  arrow  at  the  heart  of  the  unfort- 
unate, and  freed  her  from  further  torture.  The  medicine- 
men forthwith  cut  open  the  chest,  took  out  the  heart,  and 
burned  it.  The  smoke  rising  from  the  fire  in  which  it 
was  burning  was  supposed  to  possess  wonderful  virtues, 
and  implements  of  war,  hunting,  and  agriculture  were 
passed  through  it  to  insure  success  in  their  use.  The 
flesh  was  hacked  from  the  body,  buried  in  the  corn  patches, 
thrown  to  the  dogs,  or  disposed  of  in  any  way  that  caprice 
might  direct.  The  skeleton  was  allowed  to  remain  in 
position  till,  loosened  by  decay,  it  fell  to  the  ground."  ^ 

The  last  time  this  sacrifice  was  made,  according  to  offi- 
cial reports,  was  sixty  years  ago  (April,  1838).  Dunbar 
relates  this  last  reported  sacrifice  as  follows :  "  The  winter 
previous  to  the  date  given,  the  Ski-di,  soon  after  starting 
on  their  hunt,  had  a  successful  fight  with  a  band  of  Ogal- 
lalla  Sioux,  killed  several  men  and  took  over  twenty 
children.  Fearing  that  the  Sioux,  according  to  their  tac- 
tics, would  retaliate  by  coming  upon  them  in  overwhelm- 
ing force,  they  returned  for  safety  to  their  village  before 
takins:  a  sufficient  number  of  buffalo.  With  little  to 
eat,  they  lived  miserably,  lost  many  of  their  ponies  from 
scarcity  of  forage,  and,  worst  of  all,  one  of  the  captives 
proved  to  have  the  smallpox,  which  rapidly  spread  through 
1  See  Long's  Expedition  and  Schoolcraft's  Indian   Tribes. 


268  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

the  band,  ami  in  the  spring  was  coninmnicated  to  the 
rest  of  the  tribe.  All  these  aceumulated  misfortunes  the 
Ski-di  attributed  to  the  anger  of  the  morning  star,  and 
accordingly  they  resolved  to  propitiate  its  favour  by  a 
repetition  of  the  sacrifice,  though  in  direct  violation  of  a 
sti[)ulation  made  two  years  befoie  that  the  sacrifice  should 
not  occur  again. 

"In  connection  with  its  abolition,  the  oft-told  story  of 
Pit-a-le-shar-u  is  recalled.  Sa-re-cer-ish,  second  chief  of 
the  Cau-i  band,  was  a  man  of  unusuallj^  humane  disposi- 
tion, and  had  strenuously  endeavoured  to  secure  the  sup- 
pression of  the  practice.  In  the  spring  of  1817  the  Ski-di 
arranofcd  to  sacrifice  a  Comanche  g-irl.  After  Sa-re-cer-ish 
had  essayed  in  vain  to  dissuade  them,  Pit-a-le-shar-u,  a 
young  man  about  twent}^  3'ears  of  age,  of  almost  giant 
stature,  and  already  famed  as  a  great  brave,  conceived 
the  bold  design  of  rescuing  her.  Ou  the  day  set  for  the 
rite  he  actually  cut  the  girl  loose,  after  she  had  been  tied 
to  the  stakes,  placed  her  upon  a  horse  that  he  had  in  readi- 
ness, and  hurried  her  awa}'  across  the  prairies  till  they 
were  come  within  a  day's  joiirney  of  her  people's  village. 
There,  after  giving  necessary  directions  as  to  her  course, 
he  dismissed  her,  himself  returning  to  the  Pawnees.  The 
suddenness  and  intrepidity  of  his  movements,  and  his 
known  prowess,  were  no  doubt  all  that  saved  him  from 
death  at  the  moment  of  the  rescue  and  after  his  return. 
Twice  afterward  he  presumed  to  interfere.  In  one  in- 
stance, soon  after  the  foregoing,  he  assisted  in  securing 
by  purchase  the  ransom  of  a  Spanish  boy,  who  had  been 
set  apart  for  sacrifice.  Several  years  later,  about  1831, 
he  aided  in  the  attempted  rescue  of  a  girl.  The  resistance 
on  this  occasion  was  so  determined  that  even  after  the  girl 
had  been  bought  and  was  mounted  upon  a  horse  behind 
Major  Daugherty,  at  that  time  general  agent,  to  be  taken 
from  the  Ski-di  village,  she  was  shot  by  one  of  the  medi- 


INDIAN   TRIBES    ON    THE   TRAIL  269 

cine-men.  The  maofnanimous  conduct  of  Sa-re-cer-ish 
and  Pit-a-le-shar-u  in  this  matter  stands  almost  unexam- 
pled in  Indian  annals." 

The  Pawnees  were  essentiallj-  a  religious  people,  if  one 
ma}'  be  allowed  to  use  the  term  in  connection  with  a  tribe 
whose  morals  were  at  such  a  low  ebb.  They  worshipped 
Ti-ra-wa,  who  is  in  and  of  everything.  Differing  from 
many  tribes,  who  adore  material  things,  the  Pawnees  sim- 
ply regarded  certain  localities  as  sacred  —  they  became  so 
only  because  they  were  blessed  by  the  Divine  presence. 
Ti-ra-wa  was  not  personified;  he  was  as  intangible  as  the 
God  of  the  Christian.  The  sacred  nature  of  the  Pawnee 
deity  extended  to  all  animal  nature  —  the  fish  that  swim 
in  the  rivers,  the  birds  that  fly  in  the  air,  and  all  the 
beasts  which  roam  over  the  prairie  were  believed  by  the 
Pawnee  to  possess  intelligence,  knowledge,  and  power 
far  beyond  that  of  man.  They  were  not,  however,  con- 
sidered as  gods ;  their  miraculous  attributes  were  given 
to  them  by  their  ruler,  whose  servants  they  were,  and  who 
often  made  them  the  medium  of  his  communications  to 
man.  They  were  his  messengers,  his  angels,  and  their 
powers  were  always  used  for  good.  Prayers  were  made 
■^3  them  in  time  of  need,  but  rather  pleading  for  their 
intercession  with  Ti-ra-wa  than  directly  to  them.  All 
important  undertakings  were  preceded  by  a  prayer  for 
help,  and  success  in  their  undertakings  was  acknowledged 
by  grateful  offerings  to  the  ruler.  The  victorious  war- 
rior frequently  sacrificed  the  scalp  torn  from  the  head  of 
his  enemy,  which  was  burned  with  much  elaborate  mum- 
mery by  the  medicine-men,  and  he  who  brought  back  from 
a  raid  many  horses  always  gave  one  to  the  chief  medicine- 
man as  a  thank-offering  to  Ti-ra-wa. 

The  Pawnees  entertained  feelings  of  reverence  and 
humility  only  toward  their  god;  they  really  did  not  love 
him,  but  looked  to  him  for  help  at  all  times.     The  young 


270  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

braves  were  particularly  exhorted  to  humble  themselves 
before  Ti-ra-vva,  to  pray  to  him,  and  to  look  to  One 
Above,   to  ask  help  from  him. 

During  Monroe's  administration,  a  very  influential 
and  physically  powerful  Indian  named  Two  Axe,  chief 
counsellor  of  the  Pawnee  Loups,  went  to  pay  a  visit  to 
the  "Great  Father,"  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
Two  Axe  was  over  six  feet  high  and  well  proportioned, 
of  athletic  build,  and  as  straight  as  an  arrow.  He  had 
been  delegated  to  go  to  Washington  by  his  tribe  to  make 
a  treaty  with  the  government. 

Having  been  introduced  to  the  President,  the  latter 
made  known  to  him,  through  the  interpreter,  the  substance 
of  a  proposal.  The  keen-witted  Indian,  perceiving  that 
the  treaty  taught  "all  Turkey  "  to  the  white  man,  and  "all 
Crow  "  to  his  tribe,  sat  patiently  during  the  reading  of  the 
document.  When  it  was  finished,  he  rose  with  all  his 
native  dignity,  and  in  a  vein  of  true  Indian  eloquence,  in 
which  he  was  unsurpassed,  declared  that  the  treaty  had 
been  conceived  in  injustice  and  born  in  duplicity;  that 
many  treaties  had  been  signed  by  Indians  of  their  "Gre'-vt 
Father's  "  concoction,  wherein  they  had  bartered  away  the 
graves  of  their  ancestors  for  a  few  worthless  trinkets,  and 
afterward  tlieir  hearts  cried  out  for  their  folly;  that  such 
Indians  were  fools  and  women.  He  expressed  very  freely 
his  opinion  of  the  President  and  the  whites  generally,  and 
concluded  by  declaring  that  he  Avould  sign  no  paper  which 
would  ever  cause  his  own  breast  or  those  of  his  people  to 
sorrow. 

Accordingly,  Two  Axe  broke  up  the  council  abruptly, 
and  returned  to  his  home  without  making  any  treaty  with 
his  "  Grea^.  Father  "  at  all. 

The  folk-lore  stories  and  songs  of  the  Pawnees  are  full 
of  pathos,  humour,  and  thrilling  incidents.  The  legend 
of  the  Dun  Horse  is  comparable  in  its  enchantment  to 
the  stories  of  Aladdin  and  his  wonderful  lamp. 


INDIAN   TRIBES   ON   THE  TRAIL  271 

"Many  years  ago  there  lived  in  the  Pawnee  tribe  an 
old  woman  and  her  grandson,  a  boy  about  sixteen  years 
old.  These  people  had  no  relations,  and  were  very  poor. 
Indeed,  they  were  so  miserably  poor  that  they  were  de- 
spised by  the  rest  of  the  tribe.  They  had  nothing  of  their 
own,  and  always,  after  the  village  started  to  move  the 
camp  from  one  place  to  another,  these  two  would  stay  be- 
hind the  rest,  to  look  over  the  old  ground  and  pick  up 
anything  that  the  other  Indians  had  thrown  away  as  worn 
out  or  useless.  In  this  way  they  would  sometimes  get 
pieces  of  robes,  worn-out  moccasins  with  holes  in  them, 
and  bits  of  meat. 

"Now  it  happened  one  day,  after  the  tribe  had  moved 
away  from  the  camp,  that  this  old  woman  and  her  boy 
were  following  along  the  trail  behind  the  rest,  when  they 
came  to  a  miserable,  old,  Avorn-out  horse,  which  they  sup- 
posed had  been  abandoned  by  some  Indians.  He  was  thin 
and  exhausted,  was  blind  of  one  eye,  had  a  sore  back,  and 
one  of  his  fore  legs  was  very  much  swollen.  In  fact,  he 
was  so  worthless  that  none  of  the  Pawnees  had  been  will- 
ing to  take  the  trouble  to  try  to  drive  him  along  with  them. 
But  when  the  old  woman  and  her  boy  came  along,  the  boy 
said:  'Come  now,  we  will  take  this  old  horse,  for  we  can 
make  him  carry  our  pack.'  So  the  old  woman  put  her 
pack  on  the  horse  and  drove  him  along,  but  he  limj^ed 
and  could  only  go  very  slowly. 

"The  tribe  moved  up  on  the  North  Platte,  until  they 
came  to  Court-house  Rock.  The  two  poor  Indians  fol- 
lowed them,  and  camped  with  the  others.  One  day  while 
they  were  here,  the  young  men  who  had  been  sent  out  for 
buffalo  came  hurrying  into  camp  and  told  the  chiefs  that 
a  large  herd  of  buffalo  were  near,  and  that  among  them 
was  a  spotted  calf. 

"The  head  chief  of  the  Pawnees  had  a  very  beautiful 
daughter,  and  when  he  heard  about  the  spotted  calf,  he 


272  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ordered  his  old  orier  to  go  about  through  the  village,  and 
call  out  that  tlie  man  who  should  kill  the  spotted  calf 
should  have  his  daughter  for  wife.  For  a  spotted  robe 
is  'Ti-war-uks-ti '  (Big  Medicine). 

"The  buffalo  were  feeding  about  four  miles  from  the 
village,  and  the  chiefs  decided  that  the  charge  should  be 
made  from  there.  In  this  way  the  man  who  had  the  fast- 
est horse  would  be  the  most  likely  to  kil}  the  calf.  Then 
all  the  warriors  and  men  picked  out  their  best  and  fastest 
horses,  and  made  ready  to  start.  Among  those  who  pre- 
pared for  the  charge  was  the  poor  boy,  on  the  old  dun 
horse.  But  when  they  saw  him,  all  the  rich  young 
braves  on  their  fast  horses  pointed  at  liim  and  said: 
'Oh,  see;  there  is  the  horse  that  is  going  to  catch  the 
spotted  calf ' ;  and  they  laughed  at  him  so  that  the 
poor  boy  was  ashamed,  and  rode  off  to  one  side  of  the 
crowd,  where  he  could  not  hear  their  jokes  and  laughter. 

"  When  he  had  ridden  off  some  little  way,  the  horse 
stopped,  and  turned  his  head  around  and  spoke  to  the 
boy.  He  said:  'Take  me  down  to  the  creek,  and  plaster 
me  all  over  with  mud.  Cover  my  head,  and  neck,  and 
body,  and  legs.'  When  the  boy  heard  the  horse  speak, 
he  was  afraid;  but  he  did  as  he  was  told.  Then  the  horse 
said:  'Now  mount,  but  do  not  ride  back  to  the  warriors 
who  laugh  at  you  because  you  have  such  a  poor  horse. 
Stay  right  here,  until  the  word  is  given  to  charge. '  So 
the  boy  stayed  there. 

"And  presently  all  the  fine  horses  were  drawn  up  in 
line  and  pranced  about,  and  were  so  eager  to  go  that  their 
riders  could  hardly  hold  them  in.  At  last  the  old  crier 
gave  the  word,  '  Loo-ah '  (go).  Then  the  Pawnees  all 
leaned  forward  on  their  horses  and  yelled,  and  away  they 
went.  Suddenl}',  away  off  to  the  right,  was  seen  the  old 
dun  horse.  He  did  not  seem  to  run.  He  seemed  to  sail 
along  like  a  bird.      He  passed  all   the  fastest  horses,  and 


INDIAN    TRIBES    ON    THE   TKAIL  273 

in  a  moment  he  was  among  the  buffalo.  First  he  picked 
out  the  spotted  calf,  and  charging  up  alongside  of  it, 
straight  flew  the  arrow.  The  calf  fell.  The  boy  drew 
another  arrow  and  killed  a  fat  cow  that  was  running  by. 
Then  he  dismounted  and  began  to  skin  the  spotted  calf 
before  any  of  the  other  warriors  came  up.  But  when  the 
rider  got  off  the  old  dun  horse,  how  changed  he  was !  He 
pranced  about  and  could  hardly  stand  still  near  the  dead 
buffalo.  His  back  was  all  right  again ;  his  legs  were  well 
and  fine ;  and  both  his  eyes  were  clear  and  bright. 

"The  boy  skinned  the  calf  and  cow  that  he  had  killed, 
and  then  he  packed  the  meat  on  the  horse  and  put  the 
spotted  robe  on  top  of  the  load,  and  started  back  to  camp 
on  foot,  leading  the  dun  horse.  But  even  with  his  heavy 
load  the  horse  pranced  all  the  while,  and  was  scared  at 
everything  he  saw.  On  the  way  to  camp,  one  of  the 
rich  young  chiefs  of  the  tribe  rode  up  to  the  boy,  and 
offered  him  twelve  good  horses  for  the  spotted  robe,  so 
that  he  could  marry  the  head  chief's  daughter,  but  the 
boy  laughed  at  him  and  would  not  sell  the  robe. 

"Now,  while  the  boy  walked  to  the  camp  leading  the 
dun  horse,  most  of  the  warriors  rode  back,  and  one  of  those 
that  came  first  to  the  village  went  to  the  old  woman 
and  said  to  her:  '  Your  grandson  has  killed  the  spotted 
calf. '  And  the  old  woman  said :  '  Why  do  you  come  to 
tell  me  this  ?  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  to  make  fun  of 
my  boy  because  he  is  poor.'  The  warrior  rode  away, 
saying,  'What  I  have  told  you  is  true.'  After  a  while 
another  brave  rode  up  to  the  old  woman,  and  said  to  her: 
'  Your  grandson  has  killed,  the  spotted  calf.'  Then  the 
old  woman  began  to  cry,  she  felt  so  badly  because  every 
one  made  fun  of  her  boy  because  he  was  poor. 

"  Pretty  soon  the  boy  came  along,  leading  the  horse 
up  to  the  lodge  where  he  and  his  grandmother  lived.  It 
was  a  little  lodge,  just  big  enough  for  two,  and  was  made 


274  THK    fJUEAT    SALT    LAKK    TRAIL 

of  old  pieces  of  skin  that  the  old  woman  had  picked  up, 
and  was  tied  together  with  strings  of  rawhide  and  sinew. 
It  was  the  meanest  and  worst  lodge  in  the  village.  When 
the  old  woman  saw  her  boy  leading  the  dun  horse  with  a 
load  of  meat  and  the  robes  on  it,  she  was  very  much  sur- 
prised. The  boy  said  to  her:  'Here,  I  have  brought  you 
plenty  of  meat  to  eat,  and  here  is  a  robe  that  you  may 
have  for  yourself.  Take  the  meat  off  the  horse.'  Then 
the  old  woman  laughed,  for  her  heart  was  glad.  But 
when  she  went  to  take  the  meat  from  the  horse's  back,  he 
snorted  and  jumped  about,  and  acted  like  a  wild  horse. 
The  old  woman  looked  at  him  and  wondered,  and  could 
hardly  believe  that  it  was  the  same  horse.  So  the  boy 
had  to  take  off  the  meat,  for  the  horse  would  not  let  the 
old  woman  come  near  him. 

"That  night  the  horse  again  spoke  to  the  boy,  and  said: 
'Wa-ti-hes  Chah-ra-rat-wa-ta. '  To-morrow  the  Sioux  are 
coming  in  a  large  war-party.  They  will  attack  the  vil- 
lage, and  you  will  have  a  great  battle.  Now,  when  the 
Sioux  are  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  and  are  all  ready  to 
fiolit,  you  jump  on  me,  and  ride  as  hard  as  you  can,  right 
into  the  middle  of  the  Sioux,  and  up  to  their  head  chief, 
their  greatest  warrior,  and  count  coup  on  him,  and  kill 
him,  and  then  ride  back.  Do  this  four  times,  and  count 
coup  on  four  of  the  bravest  Sioux,  and  kill  them,  but  don't 
go  again.  If  you  go  the  fifth  time,  maybe  you  will  be 
killed,  or  else  you  will  lose  me.  'La-ku-ta-chix  '  (re- 
member).    The  boy  promised. 

"  The  next  day  it  happened  as  the  horse  had  said,  and 
the  Sioux  came  down  and  formed  in  line  of  battle.  Then 
the  boy  took  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  jumped  on  the  dun 
horse,  and  charged  into  the  midst  of  them.  And  when 
the  Sioux  saw  that  he  Avas  going  to  strike  their  head  chief, 
they  all  shot  their  arrows  at  him,  and  the  arrows  flew  so 
thickly  across  each  other  that  they  darkened  the  sky,  but 


INDIAN   TRIBES    OX   THE   TRAIL  275 

none  of  them  hit  the  boy,  and  he  counted  coup  on  the 
chief  and  killed  him,  and  then  rode  back.  After  that  he 
charged  again  among  the  Sioux,  where  they  were  gathered 
the  thickest,  and  counted  coup  on  their  bravest  warrior 
and  killed  him.  And  then  twice  more,  until  he  had  gone 
four  times  as  the  horse  had  told  him. 

"  But  the  Sioux  and  the  Pawnees  kept  on  fighting,  and 
the  boy  stood  around  and  watched  the  battle.  At  last  he 
said  to  himself,  'I  have  been  four  times  and  have  killed 
four  Sioux ;  why  may  I  not  go  again?  '  So  he  jumped  on 
the  dun  horse  and  charged  again.  But  when  he  got 
among  the  Sioux,  one  Sioux  warrior  drew  an  arrow  and 
shot.  The  arrow  struck  the  dun  horse  behind  the  fore 
legs  and  pierced  him  through.  And  the  horse  fell  down 
dead.  But  the  boy  jiimped  off  and  fought  his  way  through 
the  Sioux  and  ran  away  as  fast  as  he  could  to  the  Pawnees. 
Now,  as  soon  as  the  horse  w^as  killed,  the  Sioux  said  to 
each  other,  'This  horse  was  like  a  man.  He  was  brave. 
He  was  not  like  a  horse.'  And  they  took  their  knives 
and  hatchets  and  hacked  the  dun  horse  and  gashed  his 
llesh,  and  cut  him  into  small  pieces. 

"  The  Pawnees  and  Sioux  fought  all  day  long,  but 
toward  niglit  the  Sioux  broke  and  lied. 

"  The  boy  felt  very  badly  that  he  had  lost  his  horse, 
and  after  the  fight  was  over  he  went  out  from  the  village 
to  where  it  had  taken  place  to  mourn  for  his  horse.  He 
went  to  the  spot  where  the  horse  lay,  and  gathered  up 
all  the  pieces  of  flesh  wliich  the  Sioux  had  cut  off,  and 
the  legs  and  hoofs,  and  put  them  all  together  in  a  pile. 
Then  he  went  off  to  the  top  of  a  hill  near  by  and  sat 
down  and  drew  his  robe  over  his  head,  and  began  to 
mourn  for  his  horse. 

"  As  he  sat  there,  he  heard  a  great  wind  storm  coming 
up,  and  it  passed  over  him  with  a  loud  rushing  sound, 
and  after  the  wind  came  a  rain.      The  boy  looked  down 


276  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKIi   TUAIL 

from  where  he  sat  to  the  pile  of  flesh  and  bones,  which 
was  all  tliat  was  left  of  the  horse,  and  he  could  just  see  it 
through  the  rain.  And  the  rain  passed  by,  and  his  heart 
was  very  heavy  and  he  kept  on  mourning. 

"And  pretty  soon  came  another  rushing  wind,  and 
after  it  a  rain;  and  as  he  looked  through  the  driving  rain 
toward  the  spot  where  the  pieces  lay,  he  thought  that  they 
seemed  to  come  together  and  take  shape,  and  that  the 
pile  looked  like  a  horse  lying  down,  but  he  could  not  see 
very  well  for  the  thick  rain. 

"After  this  came  a  third  storm  like  the  others;  and 
now  when  he  looked  toward  the  horse  he  thought  he  saw 
its  tail  move  from  side  to  side  two  or  three  times,  and 
that  it  lifted  its  head  from  the  ground.  The  boy  was 
afraid  and  wanted  to  run  away,  but  he  stayed.  And  as 
he  waited,  there  came  another  storm.  And  while  the  rain 
fell,  looking  through  the  rain,  the  boy  saw  the  horse  raise 
himself  up  on  his  fore  legs  and  look  about.  Then  the  dun 
horse  stood  up. 

"  The  boy  left  the  place  where  he  had  been  sitting  on  the 
hilltop,  and  went  down  to  him.  When  tlie  boy  had  come 
near  to  him  the  horse  spoke  and  said,  'You  have  seen  how 
it  has  been  this  day;  and  from  this  you  will  know  how  it 
will  be  after  this.  But  Ti-ra-wa  has  been  good,  and  he 
let  me  come  to  life  back  to  you.  After  this  do  what  I 
tell  3'ou ;  not  any  more,  not  any  less.'  Then  the  horse 
said,  'Now  lead  me  far  off,  far  away  from  the  camp, 
beliind  that  big  hill,  and  leave  me  there  to-night,  and  in 
the  morning  come  for  me  ' ;  and  the  boy  did  as  he  was 
told. 

"And  when  he  went  for  the  horse  in  the  morning,  he 
found  with  him  a  beautiful  white  gelding,  much  more 
handsome  than  any  horse  in  the  tribe.  That  night  the 
dun  horse  told  the  boy  to  take  him  again  to  the  place 
behind  the  big  hill  and  to  come  for  him  the  next  morn- 


INDIAN    TRIBES    ON   THE   TRAIL 


277 


ing;  and  when  the  boy  went  for  him  again,  he  found  a 
beautiful  black  gelding.  And  so  for  ten  nights  he  left 
the  horse  among  the  hills,  and  each  morning  he  found  a 
different-coloured  horse,  a  bay,  a  roan,  a  gray,  a  blue,  a 
spotted  horse,  and  all  of  them  finer  than  au}^  horses  that 
the  Pawnees  had  ever  had  in  the  tribe  before. 

"Now  the  boy  was  rich,  and  he  married  the  beautiful 
daug-hter  of  the  head  chief,  and  when  he  became  older  he 
was  made  head  chief  himself.  He  had  many  children  by 
his  beautiful  wife,  and  one  day,  when  his  oldest  boy  died, 
he  wrapped  him  in  his  spotted  calf  robe  and  buried  him 
in  it.  He  always  took  good  care  of  his  old  grandmother, 
and  kept  her  in  his  own  lodge  until  she  died.  The  dun 
horse  was  never  ridden  except  at  feasts  and  when  they 
were  going  to  have  a  doctors'  dance,  but  he  was  always 
led  about  with  the  chief  wherever  he  went.  The  horse 
lived  in  the  village  for  mnu}-  years,  until  he  became  very 
old,  and  at  last  he  died." 


^^  V- 


CHAPTER   XII 


THE     SIOUX     NATION CAUSE      OF      THEIR      HATRED      FOR     THE 

WHITES A    CHIEF    OF    THE    BRULE    SIOUX    TELLS    A    STORY 

THE    SCARRED-ARMS STORY     OF     THE     SIX    SIOUX    AND    THE 

MYSTERIOUS    WOMAN THE    PLACE    OF    THE    DEATH    SONG 

WA-SHU-PA    AND    OGALLALLA INDIAN    FIGHT    AT    ASH     HOL- 
LOW  INDIAN    TRADITION    OF    A    FLOOD 


LITTLE  more  than  half 
a  century  ago  the  many 
bands  of  the  great  Sioux 
nation  ^    hardly    knew 
anything  of  the  civili- 
zation of  the  whites  in 
any  part  of  the  conti- 
nent; none  of  their  chiefs 
liad  ever  visited  the  capi- 
tal of  the  nation,   or,  for 
that   matter,  any  Ameri- 
can    settlement.        They 
knew  nothing  of  the  Eng- 
lish    language.       The    few 
whites  they  had  ever  met  were 
those  employed  by  the  great  fur  companies.      They  re- 
garded them  to  be  a  wise  sort  of  a  people,  a  little  inferior, 

1  The  proper  designation  of  this  numerous  tribe  is  Dakota,  meaning 
allied ;  the  word  "  Sioux,"  although  difficult  to  trace  to  its  proper  origin, 
is  generally  conceded  to  be  a  nickname  —  one  of  reproach  given  to  them 
by  their  ancient  enemies  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

278 


SIOUX   AND   THEIR   TRADITIONS  279 

however,  to  themselves,  living  in  lodges  like  their  own 
and  subsisting  on  the  buffalo  and  other  wild  game  con- 
stitutinof  the  food  of  the  Indians. 

When  that  relatively  great  exodus  from  the  States  com- 
menced, beginning  with  the  Mormon  hegira,  closely  fol- 
lowed by  emigrants  on  their  way  to  Oregon,  this  tide, 
with  its  great  number  of  oxen,  wagons,  and  other  means 
of  transportation,  at  first  so  astonished  the  Sioux,  who  had 
never  believed  for  a  moment  that  the  world  contained  so 
many  white  men,  that  they  were  completely  dumbfounded. 
When,  however,  they  saw  the  wanton  slaughter  of  buffalo 
by  this  army  of  men,  their  amazement  turned  to  hatred 
and  a  desire  for  revenge,  and  then  commenced  that  series 
of  wars  and  skirmishes,  with  their  attendant  horrible 
massacres,  ending  with  the  battle  of  Wounded  Knee. 

In  the  summer  of  1846  there  was  a  pall  of  sorrow  and 
disaster  hovering  over  all  of  the  bands  of  the  western 
Dakotas;  the  year  previous  they  had  met  with  great 
reverses.  Many  large  war-parties  had  been  sent  out  from 
the  various  villages,  the  majority  of  which  were  either 
badly  whipped  or  entirel}'  cut  off.  The  few  warriors  who 
returned  to  their  homes  were  heartbroken  and  discouraged; 
so  that  the  whole  nation  was  in  mourning. 

Among  these  war-parties,  ten  of  the  Sioux  warriors 
made  a  raid  into  the  Snake  country.  They  were  led  by 
the  son  of  a  prominent  Ogallalla  chief,  called  the  Whirl- 
wind. When  they  reached  the  Laramie  Plains  they  were 
met  by  a  superior  number  of  their  enemies,  and  every 
warrior  killed  to  a  man.  The  Snakes  having  accom- 
plished this,  they  became  greatly  alarmed  at  what  they 
had  done,  dreading  the  revenge  of  the  Dakotas,  which 
they  knew  would  be  inevitable;  so,  desiring  to  signify 
their  wish  for  peace,  they  sent  the  scalp  of  one  of  their 
victims,  with  a  small  piece  of  tobacco  attached,  to  his 
relations.     The  Snakes  induced  one  of  the  Indian  traders 


280  THE   GIIKAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

to  act  as  their  messenger  on  this  mission  of  peace,  and 
the  scalp  was  hung  up  in  a  room  at  f'ort  Laramie,  but 
Whirlwind,  the  father  of  the  dead  warrior  who  had  led 
tiie  unfortunate  band,  was  inexorable.  He  hated  the  Snakes 
with  his  Avhole  soul,  and  long  before  the  scalp  had  arrived 
he  had  consummated  his  preparations  for  revenge.  He 
despatched  runners  loaded  with  presents  of  tobacco  and 
other  trinkets  to  all  the  Dakotas  within  three  hundred 
miles  of  his  village.  They  were  to  propose  a  grand  com- 
bination for  the  purpose  of  war,  and  to  determine  upon  a 
place  and  time  for  the  meeting  of  the  warriors.  Ever 
ready  for  war,  as  is  the  normal  attitude  of  the  average 
North  American  savage,  the  Whirlwind's  plan  was  read- 
ily acceded  to,  and  a  camp  on  the  Platte,  known  as 
Labonte's,  was  the  point  designated  as  the  rendezvous. 
At  that  place  their  war-like  ceremonies  were  to  be  cele- 
brated with  great  dignity  and  solemnity;  a  thousand 
warriors,  it  is  declared,  were  to  be  sent  out  into  the 
enem3''s  country;  but  the  thing  ended  in  smoke.  True, 
a  great  many  Indians  gathered  there,  but  they  went  on 
a  big  buffalo  hunt  instead  of  fighting  the  Snakes. 

The  Sioux  are  noted  for  their  individual  bravery,  and 
whole  chapters  might  be  written  of  their  prowess,  but  the 
following  incident  will  suffice  to  show  the  character  of 
their  daring.  In  1846  a  celebrated  warrior  performed  a 
notable  exploit  at  the  Pawnee  village  on  the  Loup  Fork 
of  the  Platte.  He  arrived  there  all  alone,  late  one  dark 
night,  and  climbing  up  the  outside  of  one  of  the  lodges, 
quietly  gazed  for  a  few  moments,  through  the  round  hole 
for  the  escape  of  smoke  at  the  top,  at  the  unsuspect- 
ing inmates  sleeping  peacefully  under  their  buffalo-robes 
around  the  expiring  fire.  Dropping  himself  lightly  through 
the  opening,  he  noiselessly  unsheathed  his  knife,  and,  stir- 
ring the  embers,  stood  for  a  moment  as  if  selecting  his 
victims,  then  one  by  one  he  stabbed  and  scalped  them. 


SIOUX   AND   THEIR   TRADITIONS  281 

Just  as  he  had  wrenched  the  reeking  locks  from  the  last 
victim,  a  child  suddenly  sat  up  and  began  to  scream  vio- 
lently, upon  which  the  warrior  rushed  out  of  the  door 
of  the  lodge  uttering  the  terrible  Sioux  war-cry.  Then 
shouting  his  own  name  in  triumph  and  defiance,  he  darted 
out  upon  the  dark  prairie,  leaving  the  whole  village  be- 
hind him  in  a  tumult  with  the  howling  of  a  hundred  dogs, 
the  screams  of  the  women,  and  the  yells  of  the  enraged 
Pawnee  braves. 

The  folk-lore  and  tales  of  the  Sioux,  though  not  so 
numerous,  perhaps,  as  among  the  more  sociable  Pawnees, 
are  full  of  interest  and  the  superstitions  of  the  tribe. 

Many  years  ago,  in  a  camp  of  delighted  trappers,  one  of 
the  chiefs  of  the  Brule  Sioux  related  the  following  story 
of  his  own  experience  when  only  a  young  brave  in  the 
councils  of  his  nation:  — 

"  Wlien  I  was  a  youthful  warrior,  I  used  to  delight  in 
war,  and  very  seldom  did  a  party  go  out  on  the  war-path 
without  me.  My  scars  (which  the  old  fellow  showed  on 
his  body)  prove  to  you  that  I  am  speaking  the  truth,  and 
that  I  was  always  to  be  found  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight. 
We  hardl}^  ever  came  back  to  our  village  without  a  dozen 
or  more  scalps  torn  from  the  heads  of  our  enemies.  Some- 
times, too,  we  returned  like  fools,  without  a  single  scalp, 
and  then  were  ashamed  to  present  ourselves  at  the  dances. 

"  Once  we  were  out  after  the  Crows,  and  our  spies  were 
far  in  advance  of  the  main  body  of  warriors.  We  were 
hurrying  on,  expecting  soon  to  meet  the  enemy,  when  we 
saw  the  spy,  whom  we  had  sent  ahead,  come  back  without 
any  bows  or  arrows ;  his  scalp  was  torn  off  and  his  face 
was  covered  with  blood. 

"  When  questioned  about  his  strange  appearance,  he 
replied  that  the  enem}^  were  aware  of  the  approach 
of  our  band,  and  were  lying  in  ambush  for  us  in  great 
numbers.     He  suddenly  came   upon   their  runners,   who 


282  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

robbed  him  of  his  arms,  tore  off  his  scalp,  and  left  him  for 
dead.  He  stated  that  he  remained  quietly  where  he  had 
fallen  until  night  came  on,  and  when  the  breeze  came 
down  from  the  mountains  it  gave  him  strength  to  come 
to  us  and  warn  us  of  the  enemy's  nearness  and  great 
numbers. 

"Believing  his  story  to  be  true,  we  turned  tail  and 
made  our  way  back  to  our  village  empty-handed,  to  be 
laughed  at. 

"Three  moons  passed,  and  we  again  started  for  the 
country  of  our  enemies.  The  warrior  who  had  lost  his 
scalp  having  recovered,  and  being  again  with  us,  he  was 
sent  out  as  a  spy.  He  soon  returned  with  the  scalps  of 
two  of  the  enemy  dangling  from  his  spear-point.  He  did 
not  stop  to  tell  of  his  adventures,  but  hurried  us  on  to 
meet  the  foe,  and  following  him  eagerly,  we  soon  came 
to  where  they  were,  and  after  a  hard  fight  came  out  vic- 
torious. 

"Amono"  those  who  were  killed  was  a  warrior  whose 
scalp  was  missing.  Who  did  this  ?  asked  one  of  the  other, 
but  no  one  answered.  At  last  our  spy  laughingly  said, 
*Behind  that  hill  over  there,'  pointing  with  his  spear  to 
a  large  mountain,  'there  is  a  fountain  that  sings  a  melody 
fit  for  the  ears  of  great  warriors;  let's  go  to  it  and  drink.' 

"  Following  his  footsteps,  he  led  us  to  a  beautiful  spring 
whose  water  was  as  shining  as  silver,  and  which  fell  in 
beautiful  song  over  the  rocks  in  its  bed,  and  all  around 
the  charming  spot  were  large  old  cottonwoods,  which 
threw  a  grateful  shade  over  the  fountain,  making  it  clear 
and  alwaj^s  cool. 

"'Drink  freely,  warriors,'  said  the  spy;  then  hiding 
himself  for  a  moment  he  returned  among  us,  having  with 
him  all  his  arms  and  the  robe  he  wore  when  he  had  first 
left  us  on  his  mission  to  hunt  the  enemy,  so  many  moons 
before. 


SIOUX   AND    THEIR   TRADITIONS  283 

"We  gazed  at  him  in  astonishment,  when,  seeing  our 
amazement,  he  said :  — 

"'Brother  warriors,  you  wondered  at  my  misfortune 
and  hard  luck  when  we  last  visited  the  Crow  country; 
you  wondered  at  my  sorrowful  condition  among  the  killed 
just  now,  but  you  will  be  more  astonished  to  know  that  I 
now  stand  among  you  having  what  I  had  lost.  Would 
you  also  like  to  know  how  I  procured  the  scalps  of  two  of 
the  enemy? 

"'Three  times  has  the  full  moon  turned  her  face  upon 
us  Sioux  since  at  this  very  spot  I  met  an  enemy.  We 
rushed  at  each  other  for  the  attack,  when  he  cried :  — 

" '  Are  we  not  both  braves  ?  Why  should  we  tight  ? 
When  our  warriors  meet  in  the  heat  of  the  battle,  then  we 
may  join  them  —  until  then  let  us  have  a  truce. 

"'To  this  I  answered,  Says  the  Crow  peace? 

"'This  said,  we  shook  hands  and  sat  down  by  the  foun- 
tain. To  amuse  my  enemy  I  proposed  a  game  of  " hand."  ^ 
He  accepted  my  challenge,  and  we  first  played  for  an  arrow 
against  an  arrow,  then  bow  for  bow,  robe  for  robe,  and 
scalp  for  scalp.  I  was  out  of  luck  and  lost  everything. 
I  handed  to  him  all  the  things,  but  with  a  promise  from 
him  that  I  should  have  another  chance  when  we  met  again. 

"'We  did  meet  again.  The  Great  Spirit  smiled  upon 
me  and  I  won  back  everything.  Then  I  said.  Crow,  scalp 
for  scalp.  He  accepted  the  challenge  and  we  plaj'ed. 
He  lost,  and  I  Avith  my  winnings  arose  to  leave. 

" '  Sioux  warrior,  said  he,  meet  me  in  the  fight  that 
we  may  try  the  game  of  arms. 

1  A  common  game  among  the  savages.  One  party  to  the  game  takes 
a  pebble  or  small  bullet  in  the  curve  of  both  his  hands.  After  he  has 
tossed  it  about  for  a  few  seconds,  he  swiftly  holds  them  apart,  and  if  his 
opponent  can  guess  which  hand  the  pebble  or  stone  is  in,  he  wins ;  if  not, 
he  loses.  Immense  amounts  are  frequently  wagered  in  this  game,  for  the 
North  American  Indian  is  an  inveterate  gambler. 


284  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

"'That  pleases  me,  I  replied;  will  the  Crow  name 
the  place? 

"'A  valley  lies  beyond  this  hill,  said  he;  there  my 
people  await  their  enemies ;  let  me  hope  to  see  you  with 
them. 

'"To  that  place  I  led  you,  said  our  spy.  We  fought 
and  conquered.  My  opponent  was  among  the  killed. 
Need  I  tell  you  who  took  the  scalp? '  " 

There  is  an  affluent  of  the  Cheyenne  River  called  by 
the  Sioux  "AVeur-sena-wakpa."  The  stream  rises  at  the 
base  of  a  lofty  mountain  of  the  same  name.  This  moun- 
tain is  held  in  great  veneration  by  the  Sioux  nation,  and 
a  member  of  that  tribe  rarely  went  into  the  neighbourhood 
without  making  an  offering  to  it. 

The  legend  concerning  its  mystery  is  one  of  the  beau- 
tiful myths  of  the  Sioux. 

Many  ages  ago,  when  the  Sioux  lived  to  the  north  and 
the  Shoshone  or  Snake  tribe  of  Indians  lived  in  the  region 
of  the  mountains,  planting  their  villages  and  hunting  all 
over  the  country  for  game,  the  whole  region  was  a  series 
of  lakes  and  creeks;  only  the  highlands  bordering  them 
were  left  for  the  deer  and  buffalo  to  graze.  Then  the 
creeks  and  rivers  slowly  rose,  and  the  land  of  the  Sho- 
shones  was  greatly  reduced  by  the  encroachment  of  the 
water.  Years  passed  on,  and  the  tribe,  attracted  by  some 
more  suitable  region,  went  away,  or  were  driven  off  by 
the  hostile  bands,  especially  the  Scarred- Arms  (the  Chey- 
ennes  i). 

In  the  course  of  a  great  many  years  the  Sioux  and  the 
Scarred- Arms  always  fought  with  each  other  with  vary- 
ing success,  whenever  they  met;  sometimes  one  tribe, 
sometimes  the  other,  was  victorious. 

Once  a  band  of  the  Sioux  entered  into  the  very  heart  of 

1  The  name  owes  its  origin  to  the  practice  of  this  tribe  scarring  the  left 
arm,  crosswise,  a  custom  which  was  Itept  up  until  a  few  years  ago. 


SIOUX   AND    THEIU    TRADITIONS  285 

the  country  of  the  Scarred-Arms,  and  while  on  their  return 
to  their  own  country,  fell  into  an  ambush  of  the  enemy, 
and  only  six  out  of  the  whole  party  escaped  to  convey  the 
terrible  news  to  their  village. 

These  six,  hotly  pursued  by  the  Scarred-Arms,  sought 
refuge  in  the  mountains.  They  found  there  a  hidden 
passage  leading  into  a  recess  in  the  mountain's  side, 
which  they  hurriedly  entered.  They  were  delighted 
with  it,  for  it  had  a  gravelly  floor,  with  a  spring  of 
pure,  sweet,  cool  water  gushing  out  of  the  side  of  its 
rocky  wall.  There,  believing  they  might  remain  secure 
from  their  enemy,  they  proposed  to  rest  for  a  short  time 
and  recuperate  themselves ;  for  they  were  nearly  exhausted 
by  their  efforts  to  escape  from  the  bloody  scalping-knives 
of  the  Scarred-Arms.  They  kindled  a  fire,  around  which 
the  six  warriors  huddled,  telling  each  other,  as  is  the 
savage  wont,  of  their  numerous  hairbreadth  escapes  and 
single  combats  with  the  common  enemy;  also  trying  to 
devise  some  means  of  eluding  the  Scarred-Arms,  who 
they  knew  to  be  still  searching  for  them. 

While  they  were  thus  discussing  the  probabilities  of 
the  affair,  they  were  startled  by  a  strange  noise,  like  the 
rustling  of  leaves,  in  a  dark  corner  of  the  cave ;  but  they 
were  more  frightened  when  they  suddenly  saw  the  dim 
form  of  a  person  moving  about  in  the  subdued  light.  The 
figure  advanced  toward  them,  and  they  discovered  it  to 
be  that  of  a  feeble  old  woman,  who  said  as  she  approached 
them :  — 

"Children,  you  have  been  against  the  Scarred-Arms, 
you  have  fought  them,  and  of  a  large  party  you  alone  are 
left  alive.     I  know  it  all. 

"  You  come  here  into  my  lodge  to  escape  from  your  pur- 
suers, and  the  sound  of  your  voices  and  the  heat  of  your 
council  fire  has  disturbed  my  rest  and  waked  me  from  a 
long  trance.     By  your  eager  looks  you  would  know  my 


286  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

strange  story.  Many  ages  have  gone  by  (for  days,  moons, 
seasons,  and  ages  are  painted  before  me  as  they  pass)  since 
the  Shoshones,who  lived  where  now  live  the  Scarred- Arms, 
visited  the  lodges  of  the  Sioux  and  made  the  prairie  drink 
the  blood  of  slaughtered  warriors.  I  was  their  captive, 
and,  with  scalps  of  the  slain,  I  was  taken  from  the  graves 
of  my  people.  The  Shoshones  brouglit  me  to  this  country, 
when  yet  the  buifalo  grazed  upon  the  hills  and  mountains; 
for  the  valleys  and  plains  were  the  home  of  the  Avaters. 

"Living  with  the  Shoshones,  I  was  not  liap^iy.  I 
thought  of  my  people;  of  all  those  dear  to  me;  and  1 
prayed  to  the  Good  Spirit  that  I  might  again  behold  them 
ere  my  passage  to  the  death-land.  I  tied,  hoping  to  reach 
the  home  of  my  birth;  but  age  had  enfeebled  me;  and 
being  pursued,  I  sought  refuge  in  this  cave.  Here,  hav- 
ing passed  a  night  and  a  day  in  earnest  communion  with 
the  'Big  Medicine,'  a  strange  feeling  came  upon  me.  I 
slumbered  in  a  dreamy  state  from  then  until  now.  But 
3'our  looks  again  ask,  who  are  the  Shoshones  ?  what  became 
of  them?  and  from  whence  are  the  Scarred-Arms ? 

"  The  Sioux  will  soon  know  the  Shoshones,  and  bring 
from  their  lodges  many  scalps  and  medicine-dogs.  Di vided 
into  two  tribes,  that  nation  long  since  sought  homes  in 
other  lands.  One  crossed  the  Snow-hills,  toward  the  sun- 
setting;  the  Sioux  shall  visit  them  and  avenge  the  blood 
and  wrongs  of  ages.  The  other  journeyed  far  toward  the 
sun  of  winter,  and  now  live  to  the  leftward  of  the  places 
where  Hispanola  builds  his  earth-lodge.^ 

"  Then  came  the  Scarred-Arms  from  a  far-off  country, 
a  land  of  much  snow  and  cold.  Pleased  with  the  great 
numbers  of  buffalo  and  other  game  that  they  found  here, 

1  It  is  a  fact  that  the  Comanches  and  Shoshones,  though  living  a  thou- 
sand miles  apart,  with  hostile  tribes  between  them,  speak  exactly  the 
same  language,  and  call  themselves  by  the  same  general  name.  They 
have,  however,  lost  all  tradition  of  having  once  formed  one  nation. 


SIOUX    AND   THEIR   TRADITIONS  287 

they  stopped  for  the  chase,  and  by  many  generations  of 
possession  have  chximed  these  regions  for  their  own ;  but 
they  are  not  theirs.  The  Great  Spirit  gave  this  country 
to  the  Sioux,  and  they  shall  inhabit  the  land  of  their 
daughter's  captivity. 

"  Why  are  you  waiting  here  ?  Go  and  avenge  the  blood 
of  yoLir  comrades  upon  the  Scarred-Arms.  They  even 
now  light  their  camp-fire  by  the  stream  at  the  mountain's 
base.  Fear  not;  their  scalps  are  yours.  Then  return  to 
my  people,  that  3'e  may  come  and  receive  your  inheritance. 

"Haste  ye,  that  I  may  die;  and  oh!  War-ka-tun-ga ! 
Inasmuch  as  thou  hast  answered  the  prayer  of  thy  hand- 
maid, and  shown  to  me  the  faces  of  my  people,  take  me 
from  hence." 

The  awe-struck  warriors  withdrew.  They  found  the 
enemy  encamped  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  as  they  had 
been  told  by  the  mysterious  woman.  They  attacked  them, 
and  were  victorious.  Thirty-five  scalps  were  the  reward 
of  their  bravery. 

Oil  arriving  at  their  village,  their  strange  adventures 
excited  the  astonishment  of  all  the  Avarriors,  chiefs,  and 
medicine-men.  They  planned  an  expedition  against  the 
Scarred-Arms,  having  been  nerved  up  to  a  pitch  of  ex- 
traordinary bravery  by  the  story  of  the  old  woman  of  the 
cave.  Thus  their  enemies  were  eventually  driven  from 
the  country,  and  the  Sioux  came  into  possession  of  their 
own. 

The  thankful  warriors  went  to  the  cave  en  masse^  to 
do  reverence  to  the  memory  of  the  strange  medicine-woman 
who  had  told  them  so  many  wonderful  things.  They 
found,  upon  their  arrival  there,  only  a  small  niche  in  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  and  a  sparkling  little  stream.  Both 
the  cave  and  the  woman  liad  disappeared. 

For  years  after  this  strange  occurrence  the  Sioux  war- 
riors visited  the  land  of  the  Shoshones  for  scalps,  and,  as 


288  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

they  passed  the  mountain  where  the  old  woman  had  been 
seen,  they  always  offered  something  to  the  s[)irit  of  the 
place,  and  stopped  to  (quench  their  thiist  at  the  sparkling 
little  stream. 

On  White  River  there  is  a  bluff  against  which  the  full 
force  of  the  stream  has  daslied  for  ages,  until  it  has  formed 
a  precipice  several  hundred  feet  high.  It  is  called  by  the 
Indians  The  Place  of  tlie  Death  Sonsjf.  There  is  a  leg-end 
which  says  that  at  one  time  the  bands  of  the  Ogallallas 
and  Brules  lived  upon  this  river,  immediately  opposite  the 
precipice.  While  residing  there  one  of  the  braves  of  the 
Ogallallas  offered  to  the  father  of  a  beautiful  squaw  six 
horses  for  her,  according  to  the  savage  custom  of  thus 
purchasing  a  wife.  The  offer  was  immediately  accepted 
by  the  father  of  the  young  girl,  for  he  was  very  poor  and 
needed  the  animals  to  use  on  the  impending  annual  hunt 
after  buffalo. 

When  the  maiden  heard  that  she  was  to  become  the  wife 
of  the  Ogallalla,  she  burst  into  tears,  and  so  obstinate  was 
her  resistance  that  the  marriasfe  was  deferred  for  some 
days  because  of  her  inconsolable  grief. 

The  cause  of  her  unwillingness  to  become  the  bride  of 
the  Ogallalla  was  that  she  was  in  love  with  a  young  war- 
rior of  her  own  village,  and  she  would  not,  as  Indian 
maidens  generally  do,  love  at  her  sire's  mere  bidding. 

Her  father  was  determined,  however,  that  his  child 
should  be  governed  by  the  customs  of  the  tribe,  and  was 
only  waiting  for  her  sorrow  to  subside  a  little  before  he 
turned  her  over  to  the  Indian  he  had  chosen  for  her. 

During  this  probation,  however,  the  girl  contrived  to 
meet  the  warrior  whom  she  had  promised  to  marry,  and 
they  determined  to  elope.  They  accordingly  fled  to  a 
remote  village,  where  they  hoped  to  live  undisturbed. 

They  were  pursued  by  the  relentless  father,  both  were 
captured,  and  the  young  warrior's  life  was  forfeited  by 


SIOUX   AND   THEIR   TRADITIONS  289 

the  laws  of  the  tribe,  for  his  presuinption  in  stealing  the 
maiden,  while  she  was  most  unmercifully  whipped  and 
confined  in  her  father's  lodge.  The  Ogallalla  had  already 
paid  the  price  agreed  upon  for  the  maiden,  and  the  horses 
were  then  picketed  among  those  of  the  irate  father. 

Early  the  next  morning,  after  the  death  of  her  lover, 
the  girl  rose  from  her  bed  of  buffalo-robes,  and  dressing 
herself  in  her  best  clothes,  left  the  lodge.  Not  one  of  the 
villagers  thought  it  at  all  strange  that  she  should  thus 
array  herself,  for  they  knew  it  was  to  be  her  wedding-day, 
and  as  she  walked  through  the  village,  many  a  young 
warrior  looked  upon  her  with  feelings  of  envy  toward  the 
Indian  who  was  then  to  make  her  his  bride. 

She  wandered  toAvard  the  river,  crossed  it,  and  ascended 
the  high  peak  on  the  opposite  side.  She  then  seated  her- 
self at  the  edge  of  the  fearful  precipice,  and  looked  calmly 
down  from  its  giddy  height. 

She  soon  became  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes  in  the  village, 
not  only  because  of  her  remarkable  beauty,  but  of  her 
charmingly  formed  person,  so  plainly  exposed  to  the  view 
of  all. 

Presently  the  captivated  gazers  were  surprised  to  hear 
her  begin  to  sing  in  a  mournful  chant,  and  the  strange 
words  of  her  plaintive  melody  were  wafted  through  the 
clear  mountain  air  so  that  all  could  catch  every  word. 
They  listened :  — 

"Why  should  I  stay?  he  is  gone.  Light  of  my  eyes; 
joy  of  my  soul;  show  me  my  dwelling!  'Tis  not  here; 
'tis  far  away  in  the  Spirit  Land.  Tliither  he  is  gone. 
Why  should  I  sta}'?  Let  me  go!  "  "She  sings  her  death 
song,"  exclaimed  all  who  were  watching  and  listening  to 
her  from  their  places  in  the  village. 

"She  will  throw  herself  from  the  precipice,"  said  her 
father.  And  immediately  a  dozen  warriors  rushed  toward 
the  top  of  the  cliff  to  rescue  her  from  the  terrible  fate 


290  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

which  she  had  chosen,  and  the  leader  of  them  all  was  the 
Ogallalla  who  Avas  to  have  her  for  his  bride. 

She  saw  them  coming,  and  as  soon  as  they  started  she 
beo'an  agfain :  — 

"  Spirit  of  death,  set  me  free !  Heart,  thou  art  desolate. 
Farewell,  O  sun.  A^ain  are  the  plains  of  the  earth, 
its  flowers,  and  purling  streams.  I  loved  you  all  once 
—  but  now  no  longer  love.  Thee  I  woo,  kind  Death! 
Wa-shu-pa  calls  me  hence.  In  life  we  were  one.  We'll 
bask  together  in  the  Spirit  Land.  Short  is  my  pass  to 
thee.      Wa-shu-pa,   I  come !  " 

Concluding  her  song,  she  threw  herself  forward,  just  as 
the  foremost  warriors  arrived  at  the  summit,  in  time  to 
catch  at  her  robe  as  she  pitched  down,  leaving  the  gar- 
ment in  their  hands  ;  in  another  instant  she  was  a  mangled 
mass  at  the  base  of  the  cruel  mountain. 

In  the  winter  of  1835  Ash  Hollow  was  the  scene  of  a 
fierce  and  bloody  battle  between  the  PaAvnees  and  Sioux, 
hereditary  enemies.  The  affray  commenced  very  early  in 
the  morning,  and  continued  until  nearly  dark.  It  was  a 
closely  fouglit  battle.  Every  inch  of  ground  was  hotl}'' 
contested.  The  arrows  fell  in  showers,  bullets  whistled 
the  death  song  of  many  a  warrior  on  both  sides,  and  the 
yells  of  the  combating  savages  filled  the  wintry  air.  At 
length  all  the  ammunition  was  completely  exhausted  on 
both  sides,  but  still  the  battle  raged.  War-clubs,  toma- 
hawks, and  scalping-knives  rattled  in  the  deadly  personal 
conflict,  and  terrible  war-whoops  resounded,  as  now  one 
side  then  the  other  gained  some  slight  advantage. 

As  darkness  drew  over  the  scene,  the  Pawnees  abandoned 
the  field  to  the  victorious  Sioux,  leaving  more  than  sixty 
of  their  best  warriors  dead  on  the  bloody  sod.  But  the 
Sioux  had  not  escaped  a  terrible  loss.  Forty-five  of  their 
bravest  fighters  were  lying  dead,  and  the  defeated  party 
of  Pawnees  were  pursued  but  a  very  little  distance  when 


SIOUX   AND   THEIR   TRADITIONS  291 

the  chase  was  abandoned  and  they  returned  to  their  village 
at  the  forks  of  the  Platte. 

It  is  alleg-ed  that  this  disaster  so  humiliated  the  Pawnees 
that  they  at  once  abandoned  their  town.  They  moved 
down  the  Platte  more  than  four  hundred  miles,  and  at 
the  same  time  also  abandoned  their  town  on  the  Repub- 
lican Fork  of  the  Kansas  River,  and  rarely  ever  ventured 
up  the  river  as  far  as  the  scene  of  their  great  defeat,  unless 
in  very  large  parties. 

For  twenty  years  afterward  the  evidences  of  the  terrible 
battle  could  be  seen  in  the  bleached  bones  scattered  all 
over  the  vicinity  of  the  conflict. 

Many  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  Great  Plains  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains  have  a  tradition  of  a  flood,  but  as  they 
differ  only  in  the  matter  of  detail,  a  single  one  is  pre- 
sented here,  that  of  the  Sioux.  It  was  told  around  the 
camp-fire,  on  General  Carr's  expedition  against  the  hos- 
tile bands  of  that  nation,  in  1869,  when  Colonel  W.  F. 
Cody  (Buffalo  Bill)  was  chief  of  scouts. 

One  day  some  of  the  men  brought  into  camp  a  large 
bone,  which  the  surgeons  pronounced  to  be  the  femur,  or 
thigh-bone  of  a  man.  Some  Indian  prisoners,  who  had 
been  captured  a  short  time  before,  were  sent  for  and 
asked  to  give  their  opinion  of  this  find.  As  soon  as  they 
saw  it,  they,  too,  said  it  was  the  thigh-bone  of  a  man. 

Its  peculiarity  was  its  unusual  size;  in  circumference 
it  Avas  as  large  as  a  man's  body.  The  general  asked  the 
Indians  how  they  knew  it  was  the  thigh-bone  of  a  man. 
They  replied  that  a  great  many  years  ago,  living  on  the 
plains,  there  was  a  race  of  men  who  were  so  big  that  it 
was  said  they  were  tall  enough  to  run  alongside  of  a 
buffalo,  pick  him  up,  put  him  under  one  of  their  arms, 
and  tear  off  a  whole  quarter  of  his  meat  and  eat  it  as  they 
walked  on.  These  large  men  became  so  powerful  in  their 
own  estimation  that  they  defied  the  Great  Spirit.     This 


292 


THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 


angered  the  Great  Spirit,  and  he  made  tlie  rain  come.  It 
kept  on  raining  nntil  the  rivers  and  creeks  were  full  of 
water  and  flooded  over  their  banks.  The  Indians  were 
compelled  to  move  out  of  the  valleys  and  go  up  on  the 
divides  and  small  hills;  but  they  were  not  allowed  to 
remain  there  long.  The  water  kept  rising  and  rising  until 
it  covered  the  divides  and  little  hills;  so  the  Indians 
kept  moving  up,  higher  and  higher,  until  they  reached 


Afcdidnc  Mdnj  LodQc. 


the  top  peaks  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  the  water  still 
rose  until  it  covered  the  highest  points,  and  all  these  big 
peo})le  were  drowned.  After  they  were  all  dead,  it  ceased 
raining;  the  water  began  to  recede,  and  finally  returned 
to  the  original  channels  of  the  rivers  and  creeks.  Then 
the  Great  Spirit  made  a  race  of  people  of  the  size  that  we 
are  to-day;  people  whom  he  could  handle  and  who  would 
not  defy  him. 

The  word  "  medicine  "  in  all  of  the  tribes  in  some  sense 


SIOUX    AND   THEIR   TRADITIONS  293 

is  a  misnomer;^  it  really  signifies  dreamer,  or  prophet, 
and  is  synonymous  with  the  word  "prophet"  in  the  Old 
Testament.  The  Indian  form  of  government  may  be 
characterized  as  a  theocracy,  and  the  medicine-man  is  the 
high  priest.  His  dreams  and  his  prophecies  are  held 
sacred  by  the  people.  Should  what  he  tells  them  turn 
out  to  be  untrue,  the  fault  lies  with  themselves,  and 
he  claims  that  his  instructions  have  been  disregarded.  If 
by  accident  his  dreams  are  exactly  verified,  the  confidence 
of  the  tribe  in  their  medicine-man  surpasses  all  belief. 
The  medicine  lodge  is  their  tabernacle  of  the  wilderness 
—  the  habitation  of  the  Great  Spirit,  the  sacred  ark  of 
their  faith. 

1  As  in  some  instances  the  medicine-men,  so  called,  are  really  the  doctors 
of  the  tribe,  and  as  medecin  is  French  for  doctor,  the  early  French 
voyageurs  gave  this  term  to  these  mystery -men,  by  which  they  have  been 
known  ever  since. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE     CROWS COUNCIL      AT     FORT     PHILIP     KEARNY     IN     JULY, 

ISIJi; A-RA-POO-xVSII JIM  BECKWOURTII  IN  A  FIGHT  BETWEEN 

CROWS     AND      BLACKFEET BECKWOURTH     AND     THE     GREAT 

MEDICINE     KETTLE THE     MISSIONARY     AND     THE     CROWS  — 

THE    LEGEND    OF    THE    BLIND    MEN THE    PIS-KUN 


D/dcJ^foof  5  jQUdW. 


HE  tribe  of  Indians  known 
as  tlie  Crows  ^  are  entitled 
to  the  veiy  marked  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  most 
manly  in  their  conduct  in 
its  relation  to  the  whites. 
The  integrity  of  their 
friendship  has  been  tested 
on  many  occasions,  and 
they  have  never  proved 
false  to  their  protesta- 
tions. Their  chiefs  de- 
clare that  a  Crow  was 
never  known  to  kill  a 
Avliite  man  excepting  in 
self-defence. 
As  lias  been  the  fate  of 
the  North  American  savage  since  that  dark  December 
day  wlien  the  Pilgrims   landed  on  Plymouth  Rock,  the 

1  'i'he  name  of  the  Crows  is  not  the  correct  appellation  of  the  tribe. 
They  have  never  yet  acknowledged  the  name,  though  as  such  are  officially 
recognized   by  the  United   States  gove'-iiment.     It  was  conferred  upon 

294 


THE   CROWS  295 

Crows  have  been  driven  year  after  year  from  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  natural  regions  on  the  continent.  Not 
only  have  the  whites  been  the  usurpers,  but  both  the 
Sioux  and  the  Cheyennes  have  been  instrumental  in  con- 
fining them  to  a  constantly  decreasing  area,  until  now  the 
remnant  of  a  once  great  nation  is  the  ward  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  located  on  a  limited  reservation. 

To  prove  that  Ab-sa-ra-ka,  as  the  tribe  designated 
their  beautiful  hunting-grounds,  was  rightly  named, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  quote  a  conversation  which  took 
place  at  a  council  held  at  Fort  Philip  Kearny,  in  July, 
1866,  when  the  following  question  was  asked  of  Black- 
Horse,  the  Wolf-That-Lies-Down,  Red-Arm,  and  Dull- 
Knife:  — 

"Why  do  the  Sioux  and  Chej'ennes  claim  the  land 
which  belongs  to  the  Crows?"  To  which  these  chiefs 
answered :  — 

"The  Sioux  helped  us.  We  stole  the  hunting-grounds 
of  the  Crows  because  they  were  the  best.  The  white  man 
is  along  the  great  waters,  and  we  wanted  more  room.  We 
fight  the  Crows  because  they  will  not  take  half  and  give 
us  peace  with  the  other  half." 

It  is  claimed  that  the  Crows  sprang  aom  the  Gros 
Ventres  of  the  Missouri,  whose  language  they  speak. 
The  Gros  Ventres  were  a  very  weak  tribe,  or  band,  who 
had,  by  incessant  wars  with  the  surrounding  tribes,  be- 
come reduced  to  a  very  insignificant  number  of  warriors. 
It  is  alleged,  according  to  their  tradition,  that  the  Crows 
became  a  separate  nation  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago, 
because  the  tribe  was  becoming  too  numerous. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  century  the  head  chief  of  the 

them  in  the  early  days  by  the  interpreters,  either  through  ignorance  of 
the  language,  or  for  the  purpose  of  ridicule.  The  name  which  they  them- 
selves acknowledge,  and  they  recognize  no  other,  is  in  their  language 
Ap-sah-ro-kee,  which  signifies  the  Sparrow  Hawk  people. 


296  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

Crows  was  A-ra-poo-ash.  The  celebrated  Jim  Beck- 
Avoiirtli  ^  had  ah'eady  become  a  leader  among  the  Crows, 
and  shortly  after  the  death  of  A-ra-poo-ash  Avas  unani- 
mously chosen  in  his  place. 

The  Blackfeet  were  always  very  persistent  and  unre- 
lenting enemies  of  the  Crows,  and  some  of  the  most  bloody, 
combats  recorded  in  savafje  warfare  occurred  between 
these  two  tribes. 

Once,  while  in  the  Crow  village,  a  party  of  Blackfeet, 
numbering  thirty  or  forty,  came  stealing  through  the 
Crow  country,  killing  every  straggler,  and  carrying  off 
every  horse  they  could  lay  their  hands  on.  The  Crow 
warriors  immediately  started  after  them  and  pressed  them 
so  closely  that  they  could  not  escape.  Tlie  Blackfeet  then 
threw  up  a  semicircular  breastwork  of  logs  at  the  foot  of 
a  precipice,  and  awaited  the  approach  of  their  enemies. 
Logs  and  sticks  were  piled  up  four  or  five  feet  in  front 
of  them,  which  thoroughly  protected  them.  The  Crows 
might  have  swept  over  this  breastwork  and  exterminated 
the  Blackfeet;  but  though  outnumbering  them,  they  did 
not  dream  of  storming  the  little  fortification.  Such  a 
proceeding  would  have  been  altogether  repugnant  to  the 
savage  notion  of  warfare.  Whooping  and  yelling,  and 
jumping  from  side  to  side  like  devils  incarnate,  thej^ 
poured  a  shower  of  bullets  and  arrows  upon  the  logs,  jet 
not  a  Blackfoot  was  hurt;  but  several  of  the  Crows,  in 
spite  of  their  antics,  were  shot  down.  In  that  ridiculous 
manner  the  fight  continued  for  an  hour  or  two.  Now  and 
then  a  Crow  warrior,  in  an  ecstasy  of  valour  and  vainglory, 

1  Reckwourth  was  a  mulatto  born  in  Virtrinia  in  1798.  He  was  of 
niediuni  height,  of  strong  muscular  power,  quick  of  appreliension,  very 
active,  and  one  of  the  greatest  waiTiors  the  Crow  Nation  has  ever  pro- 
duced. Around  his  neck  he  wore  a  perforated  bullet,  with  a  large  oblong 
bead  on  each  side  of  it,  secured  by  a  thread  of  sinew.  He  wore  this 
amulet  during  the  whole  time  he  was  chief  of  the  Crows.  He  was  one  of 
the  few  honest  Indian  traders  of  whom  history  gives  any  account. 


THE  CROWS  297 

would  scream  forth  his  war-song,  tlechire  himself  the  brav- 
est and  greatest  of  all  Indians,  grasp  his  hatchet,  strike  it 
wildly  upon  the  breastwork,  and  then,  as  he  retreated  to 
his  companions,  fall  dead,  riddled  with  arrows;  yet  no 
combined  attack  was  made,  the  Blackfeet  remaining  secure 
in  their  intrenchment.  At  last  Jim  Beckwourth  lost 
patience :  — 

"You  are  all  a  set  of  fools  and  old  women,"  cried  he; 
"come  with  me,  if  any  of  you  are  brave  enough,  and  I'll 
show  you  how  to  fight." 

Beckwourth  instantly  threw  off  his  trapper's  suit  of 
buckskin,  stripping  himself  naked  as  Avere  the  Indians 
themselves.  Throwing  his  rifle  on  the  ground,  he  grasped 
a  small  hatchet,  and  running  over  the  prairie  to  the  right, 
hidden  by  a  hollow  from  the  ej'es  of  the  Blackfeet,  he 
climbed  up  the  rocks  and  reached  the  top  of  the  precipice 
behind  them.  Forty  or  fift}^  young  warriors  followed  him. 
By  the  cries  and  whoops  that  arose  from  below,  Beck- 
wourth knew  that  the  Blackfeet  were  just  beneath  him ; 
then  running  forward,  he  leaped  from  the  rock  right  in 
the  midst  of  the  surprised  savages.  As  he  fell,  he  caught 
one  of  the  Blackfeet  by  his  long,  loose  hair,  and  dragging 
him  toward  him,  buried  his  hatchet  in  his  brain.  Then 
grasping  another  by  the  belt  at  his  waist,  he  struck  him 
a  stunning  blow,  and  gaining  his  feet,  shouted  the  Crow 
war-cry.  He  swung  his  hatchet  so  fiercely  around  him 
that  the  astonished  Blackfeet  crowded  back  and  gave  him 
room.  He  might,  had  he  chosen,  have  leaped  over  the 
breastwork  and  escaped;  but  this  was  not  necessary,  for 
with  devilish  yells  the  remainder  of  the  Crow  warriors 
came  dropping  in  quick  succession  over  the  rock,  and 
rallied  around  him. 

The  convulsive  struggle  within  the  breastwork  was 
frightful;  for  a  few  moments  the  Blackfeet  fought  and 
yelled  like  pent-up  tigers ;  but  the  butchery  was  complete, 


298  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

and  the  mangled  bodies  lay  piled  together  under  the  preci- 
pice.    Not  a  Blackfoot  made  his  escape. 

In  1833  a  band  of  Blackfeet,  superior  in  numbers  to 
the  Crows,  most  unmercifully  wliipped  them.  On  their 
return  to  their  village  one  night  in  August,  shortly  after 
the  fight,  there  was  a  grand  display  of  meteoric  showers, 
and  altliough  the  Crow  warriors  were  ready  to  face  death 
in  any  form,  the  wonderful  celestial  disj)lay  appalled  them. 
They  regarded  it  as  the  AA'iath  of  the  Great  Spirit  show- 
ered visibly  upon  them.  In  their  terrible  fright,  they,  of 
course,  looked  to  their  chief  for  some  explanation  of  it. 
But  as  Beckwourth  himself  was  as  much  struck  with  the 
wonderful  occurrence,  he  was  equally  at  a  loss  with  his 
untutored  followers  to  account  for  the  remarkable  spec- 
ta.cle. 

Evidently,  he  knew,  he  must  augur  some  result  from 
il,  though  his  own  dejected  spirit  did  not  prompt  him  to 
deduce  a  very  encouraging  one.  He  thought  of  all  the 
impostures  that  are  practised  upon  the  credulous,  and  his 
imagination  suggested  some  brilliant  figures  to  his  mind. 
He  thought  at  first  of  declaring  to  them  that  the  Great 
Spirit  was  j^leased  with  the  expedition,  and  was  lighting 
the  band  on  its  way  with  spirit  lamps ;  or  that  the  meteors 
were  the  spirits  of  departed  braves,  coming  to  assist  their 
worldly  brothers  in  another  impending  fight;  but  he  was 
not  sanguine  enough  of  possible  results  to  indulge  in  any 
attractive  oratory.  He  merely  informed  his  warriors  that 
he  had  not  time  to  consult  his  medicine,  but  that  as  soon 
as  he  could  he  would  interpret  the  miracle  in  full. 

When  his  band  of  warriors  arrived  at  the  village,  he 
found  all  of  the  people's  minds  still  agitated  Avith 
fear  at  tlie  late  phenomenon.  Every  one  was  talking  of 
it  with  wonder  and  amazement,  and  the  chief's  opinion 
was  demanded  at  once ;  they  were  expecting  it,  and  wanted 
to  know  what  the  consequences  were  to  be.     Admonished 


THE   CROWS  299 

by  his  recent  defeat,  Beckwourth  now  had  no  trouble  in 
reading  the  stars.  He  told  his  warriors  that  they  had 
evidently  offended  the  Great  Spirit;  that  it  was  because 
of  his  wrath  they  had  suffered  defeat  in  their  excursion 
to  the  Blackfeet  country,  and  returned  with  the  loss  of 
twenty-three  warriors.  He  then  told  them  that  a  sacrifice 
must  be  made  to  appease  the  wrath  of  the  Great  Spirit, 
and  he  recommended  that  a  solemn  council  be  convened 
and  a  national  oblation  be  offered  up. 

Beckwourth  knew  that  he  was  doing  an  absurd  thing, 
but  the  superstition  of  the  people  demanded  it,  and  he 
must  cater  to  their  desires  because  it  was  popular. 

The  camp  where  the  Crows  then  were  was  a  mourning- 
camp,  in  which,  according  to  their  religion,  "medicine" 
v/ould  have  no  effect.  The  camp  was,  therefore,  moved 
to  another  place,  about  ten  miles  distant,  in  order  to 
properly  offer  up  the  sacrifice. 

All  the  leading  men  and  braves  assembled  in  council, 
and  Beckwourth,  as  their  great  medicine-man,  was  con- 
sulted as  to  what  kind  of  an  offering  should  be  made  which 
would  effect  its  purpose  of  appeasing  the  wrath  that  was 
consuming  the  tribe. 

Beckwourth  retired  for  a  while  from  the  council,  telling 
the  chiefs  he  must  consult  his  medicine.  Returning  in  a 
short  time,  he  ordered  them  to  bring  out  the  great  medi- 
cine kettle,  which  was  of  brass,  capable  of  holding  ten 
gallons,  and  was  worth  ten  buft'alo-robes.  It  was  then 
ordered  to  be  polished  until  it  shone  as  bright  as  the  sun's 
face.  That  being  done,  Beckwourth  ordered  the  warriors 
to  throw  in  all  the  most  costly  and  highly  prized  trinkets, 
or  whatever  they  cherished  most  dearly.  It  was  soon 
filled  with  the  band's  choicest  treasures.  Keepsakes, 
fancy-work,  in  which  montlis  of  patient  toil  had  been 
expended,  knick-knacks,  jewels,  and  rings  so  highly  re- 
garded that  the  costliest  gems  of  emperors  seemed  poor 


300  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ill  comparison.  All  these  were  thrown  into  the  kettle 
willingly,  along  with  a  bountiful  contribution  of  fingers  ^ 
until  it  could  hold  no  more.  Then  weights  were  attached 
to  it,  when  it  was  carried  to  an  air-hole  in  the  ice  where 
the  river  was  very  deep,  and  there  sunk  with  becoming 
ceremony,  young  maidens  habited  in  the  best  apparel 
bearing  the  burden. 

The  great  sacrifice  completed,  the  minds  of  the  people 
were  relieved,  and  the  result  of  tlie  next  war-party  was 
anxiously  looked  forward  to,  to  learn  if  the  oblation  was 
accepted  by  the  Great  Spirit.  The  crying  and  lamenta- 
tions continued,  however,  unabated,  so  much  to  the  de- 
rangement of  Beckwourth's  nervous  system  that  if  he 
could,  he  would  have  gladly  retired  from  the  village  to 
seek  some  less  dolorous  companionship. 

The  incantations  seemed  to  have  had  a  good  effect,  for 
on  another  expedition  shortly  afterward  the  war-party 
returned  with  lots  of  scalps  and  thirteen  hundred  horses, 
Avhich  they  had  stolen  from  the  Blackfeet.^ 

The  Crows  enjoyed  a  practical  joke  as  well  as  their 
more  humorous  white  brethren,  as  the  following  incident 
will  attest. 

In  the  summer  of  1842  a  war-party  of  about  two  hun- 
dred Crows  invaded  the  Sioux  country  by  way  of  Laramie 
Pass,  penetrating  as  far  as  Fort  Platte  and  beyond,  in 
pursuit  of  the  enemy. 

A  few  miles  above  the  fort,  they  stopped  a  lone  French- 
man, an  emplo3'ee  of  one  of  the  fur  companies,  who  was 

1  Disfigurement  of  the  body  and  dismemberment  of  the  fingers,  as  an 
observance  of  mourning,  was  common  among  all  Indian  tribes.  Some- 
times upon  the  death  of  a  warrior  in  battle  his  horse  was  cut  and  slashed, 
"to  make  him  feel  sorry  for  the  loss  of  his  master." 

2  During  the  sessions  of  the  Peace  Commission  at  Fort  Laramie  in  1866, 
Beckwourth  was  sent  on  a  mission  to  consult  with  the  chiefs  of  the  Crows. 
He  was  taken  sick  in  one  of  their  villages  and  died  there,  probably  from 
old  age  rather  than  di.seas(\ 


THE    CROWS  301 

rather  new  to  the  region,  and  also  green  in  everything 
that  pertains  to  Indian  methods.  Tliey  began  by  signs 
to  inquire  the  trail  of  the  Sioux  (the  sign  for  that  tribe 
being  a  transverse  pass  of  the  right  front  finger  across 
the  throat),  which  the  poor  Frenchman  interpreted  as 
their  intention  to  cut  his.  He  immediately  began  to 
bellow  like  a  calf,  accompanying  himself  with  an  in- 
dustrious number  of  crosses,  and  a  most  earnest  prayer 
to  the  Virgin  to  graciously  save  him  from  his  impending 
fate. 

The  savages,  noticing  his  strange  conduct,  and  regard- 
ing it  as  an  evidence  of  fear,  were  disposed  to  have  a  little 
fun  at  his  expense.  Then  mounting  him  upon  one  of 
their  spare  horses,  they  tied  his  hands  and  feet,  and  led 
him  to  one  of  the  trading-posts  of  the  American  Fur 
Company,  as  a  prisoner. 

The  gates  of  the  fort  were,  of  course,  closed,  but  the 
Crows  demanded  immediate  admittance,  declaring  they 
wanted  to  trade.  What  goods  were  wanted  by  them? 
was  asked  by  the  officer  in  charge;  to  which  the  leader  of 
the  savages  replied,  tobacco. 

"What  have  you  got  to  trade  for  it?"  was  then  asked. 

"A  white  man,"  was  the  answer. 

"A  white  man?"  asked  the  surprised  commander. 
"What  do  you  want  for  him?" 

"Oh!  he  is  not  worth  much.  A  plug  of  tobacco  is 
his  full  value !  "  was  the  response  by  nearly  all  the  war- 
riors. 

The  commandant,  seeing  through  the  savage  joke,  and 
on  recognizing  the  unfortunate  Frenchman,  told  the  Ind- 
ians they  might  possibly  find  a  market  for  him  at  the 
other  fort.     He  did  not  want  to  purchase. 

The  savages  paraded  around  the  walls  of  the  post  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  with  a  salutation  of  terrible  war-whoops, 
dashed  off  for  Fort  Platte. 


302  THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

When  they  reached  Fort  Phitte,  having  tumbled  two 
platforms  of  their  dead  enemies  on  the  trail, ^  they  told  the 
same  story  to  the  commanding  officer,  who  felt  disposed 
to  humour  their  joke  and  accordingly  gave  the  tobacco 
to  the  savages.  Ujjon  this  they  turned  over  the  French- 
man, nearly  frightened  to  death,  and  rode  away  in  pursuit 
of  the  Sioux. 

Many  years  ago  a  missionary  went  among  the  Crows. 
He  was  admitted  to  an  audience  of  the  leading  men,  and 
commenced,  through  an  interpreter,  to  tell  them  the  story 
how  sin  first  came  into  the  world,  and  how  all  men  had 
become  bad,  whether  white  or  red.  Then  he  proceeded 
to  explain  the  principles  of  Christianity,  telling  the  sav- 
ages that  he  had  come  among  them  to  do  them  good,  to 
show  them  how  to  be  happy,  and  declaring  that  unless 
they  listened  to  him  and  worshipped  the  Good  Spirit  as 
he  instructed  them,  they  could  never  reach  that  happy 
country  into  which  good  people  alone  found  admittance 
after  death. 

A  venerable  chief  then  arose  and  said:  "My  white 
brother  is  a  stranger  to  us.  He  talks  evil  of  us,  and  he 
talks  evil  of  his  own  people.  He  does  this  because  he  is 
ignorant.  He  thinks  my  people,  like  his,  are  wicked. 
Thus  far  he  is  wrong.  Who  were  they  who  killed  the 
very  good  man  of  whom  he  tells  us  ?  None  of  them  were 
red  men!  The  red  man  will  die  for  his  friends  — he  will 
not  kill  them !  Let  my  paleface  brother  talk  to  the  white 
man.  His  own  people  —  they  are  very  bad.  He  says  he 
would  do  us  good !  He  does  us  no  good  to  chide  us  and 
say  we  are  bad.  True,  we  are  bad  —  and  were  we  as  bad 
as  the  palefaces,  it  would  become  us  to  listen  to  him. 
Would  my  brother  do  us  good  ?  Then  let  him  tell  us  how 
to  make  powder  and  we  will  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  his 

1  The  Sioux  bury  their  dead  on  platforms  erected  seven  or  eight  feet 
above  the  ground. 


THE   CROWS  303 

profession  —  but  let  him  not  belie  us  by  saying  we  are 
bad,  like  the  palefaces !  " 

The  Crows  also  have  their  legends  of  enchantment,  as 
have  other  tribes. 

Once  upon  a  time  a  party  of  Crow  Indians  were  out 
hunting  the  buffalo,  and  they  had  with  them  a  blind  man. 
As  he  was  a  great  hindrance  to  them,  they  put  up  a  teepee 
on  the  bank  of  the  Stinking  Water  for  him,  and  told  him 
to  remain  there  until  they  returned. 

They  left  him  sometliing  to  eat  and  built  a  fire  for  him. 
Then  they  drove  a  stake  in  the  ground  and  stretched  a 
lariat  to  the  Stinking  Water  so  that  he  could  drink,  and 
they  also  stretched  another  lariat  to  the  timber,  and  told 
him  to  follow  that  and  he  could  get  wood.  Thus  they  left 
him,  and  shortly  after  their  departure  another  party  of 
Crows  came  along,  and  they,  too,  had  a  blind  man  with 
them;  so  they  concluded  to  follow  the  example  of  the  first 
party,  and  leave  him  to  keep  the  first  blind  man  company. 

The  two  blind  men  sat  down  and  spent  their  time  in 
telling  stories ;  but  the  two  hunting-parties  were  detained, 
and  the  two  blind  men  ran  out  of  provisions,  and  became 
very  hungry.  They  sat  at  their  fire  and  wondered  what 
they  should  do  for  something  to  eat.  Finally  they  could 
stand  it  no  longer,  and  one  of  them  suggested  that  they 
go  down  to  the  river  and  catch  a  fish  to  eat. 

"No,"  said  the  other;  " Sak-a-war-te  (the  Great  Spirit 
of  the  Crows)  told  our  people  to  hunt  the  buffalo,  and  it 
would  make  him  very  angry  for  us  to  catch  and  eat  fish;" 
but  hunger  getting  the  better  of  him,  he  consented. 

They  went  down  to  the  water,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
they  caught  a  large  fish.  They  came  back  to  their  teepee, 
made  a  fire,  and  proceeded  to  cook  their  fish.  They  were 
sitting  on  either  side  of  the  fire  talking,  and  when  the 
fish  was  done,  Sak-a-war-te  came  quietly  in  and  took  the 
fish  out  of  the  pot  over  the  fire.     Soon  they  discovered 


304  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

that  their  fish  was  gone,  and  then  they  began  to  accuse 
each  other  of  having  taken  it.  From  words  they  came  to 
blows,  and  Avhile  they  were  fighting,  Sak-a-war-te  was 
standing  there  and  laughing  at  them.  At  last  he  spoke 
to  them  and  told  them  to  stop  fighting  —  that  he,  Sak-a- 
war-te,  had  taken  the  fish  to  try  them. 

He  then  said  that  they  were  bad  Indians;  they  had 
broken  his  commands  to  his  people,  which  was  to  kill  only 
the  buffalo.  But  he  said  he  would  try  them  again.  He 
told  them  to  go  to  the  Stinking  Water,  and  take  some 
mud  and  rub  it  on  their  eyes,  then  to  wash  it  off  and  they 
would  see.  Then  he  told  them  they  must  obey  him  and 
go  hunt  the  buffalo.     Then  he  left  them. 

They  did  as  he  told  them  to  do,  and  in  a  short  time 
they  could  see.  Then  they  sat  down  and  talked  over 
matters;  but  their  hunger  increasing  and  the  hunting- 
parties  not  returning,  they  at  last  were  compelled  to 
go  down  to  the  river  and  catch  another  fish. 

They  had  no  sooner  landed  a  fish  than  they  both  lost 
their  sight  again.  In  remorse  they  sat  by  their  fire  once 
more,  and  again  Sak-a-war-te  came  to  them,  and  told 
them  what  bad  Indians  they  had  been,  but  said  he  would 
try  them  once  more.  So  he  told  them  a  second  time  to 
go  down  to  the  river,  to  take  mud  and  apply  it  to  their 
eyes,  then  wash  it  off,  and  when  they  had  received  their 
sight,  they  should  never  again  take  fish,  for  if  they  did 
they  would  become  blind  and  never  again  recover  their 
sight.  They  must  hunt  only  the  buffalo.  They  did  as 
the  Great  Spirit  had  told  them  to  do,  and  immediately 
received  their  sight  once  more.  Then  they  went  and  made 
them  bows  and  arrows,  as  Sak-a-war-te  had  said  they 
should,  and  while  they  were  thus  employed,  their  friends 
returned  from  the  hunt  and  gave  them  food.  The  hunters 
were  very  much  surprised  to  find  that  the  men  had  recov- 
ered their  sight,  and  when  they  were  told  how  it  was 


THE   CROWS  305 

accomplished,  all  said  they  would  ever  after  be  good 
Indians  and  hunt  only  the  buffalo. 

The  Blackfeet  Indians  are  divided  into  three  tribes, 
and  each  tribe  again  divided  into  Blackfeet,  Bloods,  and 
Piegans.  This  confederation,  while  distinct,  is  regarded 
as  a  nation,  and  one  of  the  stipulations  was  that  there  should 
never  be  any  clashing  between  them;  but  notwithstanding 
this  there  have  been  many  bloody  fights. 

According  to  tradition,  they  once  lived  much  farther 
east  and  north,  near  the  Saskatchewan  country.  Two  or 
three  hundred  years  ago  they  were  driven  from  there  by 
hostile  tribes,  and  they  slowly  moved  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, where  they  have  remained. 

Their  country,  like  that  of  the  Crows,  is  a  magnificent 
region  —  a  perfect  paradise  for  a  people  who  subsisted 
wholly  on  wild  game.  Such  subsistence  was  a  necessity, 
too,  for  their  mountainous  range  belongs  to  that  arid 
portion  of  our  mid-continent  area  where,  without  irriga- 
tion, it  is  doomed  to  a  hopeless  bondage  of  sterility. 
Millions  of  buffalo  and  antelope  roamed  the  plains,  and  in 
the  forest-fringed  valleys  and  on  the  pine-clad  divides, 
elk,  deer,  and  mountain  sheep  flocked  in  immense  num- 
bers. 

The  characteristics  of  the  Blackfeet  were  bravery,  hardi- 
ness, and  a  ferocity  that  made  them  formidable  enemies 
to  the  other  tribes  with  which  they  were  constantly  at 
war.  Particularly  were  they  the  everlasting  foes  of  the 
Crows,  from  whom  they  stole  horses  by  the  wholesale; 
but  very  frequently  the  tables  were  turned,  and  the  Crows 
retaliated,  robbing  the  Blackfeet  of  thousands. 

They  were  probably  the  best  hunters  of  all  the  plains' 
tribes,  and  in  the  early  days  before  their  contact  with  the 
whites  their  weapons  were  of  the  most  primitive  charac- 
ter. They  used  merely  bows  with  stone-pointed  arrows, 
and  they  resorted  to  the  most  ingenious  methods  in  oi-der 


306  THE   GKEAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

to  capture  the  buffalo,  which  was  their  principal  food. 
In  fact,  they  subsisted  almost  entirely  upon  that  great 
ruminant. 

One  of  their  plans  to  catch  the  huge  beasts  was  known 
as  the  "  pis-kun,"  literally  meaning  deep  blood-kettle.  It 
was  really  an  immense  corral,  generally  constructed  just 
below  a  steep  precipice,  and  its  sides  and  ends  enclosed  by 
logs,  stone,  or  brush  —  anything  that  came  handy  and 
answered  the  purpose.  On  the  prairie  above  the  preci- 
pice, wings  extended  out  on  either  side,  in  shape  of  an 
open  triangle.  Into  this  the  buffalo  were  carefully 
driven,  and  in  their  fright  precipitated  themselves  over 
the  brink. 

The  proceedings  were  always  conducted  with  much 
ceremony,  and  involved  a  good  deal  of  savage  mummer}^ 
The  sun,  which  was  one  of  their  deities,  must  be  pro- 
pitiated. The  evening  previous  to  the  attempt  to  drive 
a  herd  of  buffalo  into  the  j)is-kun,  one  of  the  medicine- 
men of  the  band  commenced  by  praying  to  the  sun  for 
the  success  of  the  undertaking.  He  was  the  one  to  make 
the  buffalo  come,  and  early  in  the  morning  he  got  out  his 
robes  and  started  on  his  mission,  after  warning  his  wives 
that  they  must  not  show  themselves,  even  by  looking  out 
of  the  door  of  the  lodge,  until  he  came  back  from  his 
mission,  but  that  they  must  constantly  burn  sweet  grass 
as  an  offering  to  the  god  of  the  day. 

He  must  necessarily  fast  when  engaged  in  this  duty, 
and  when  he  was  ready  to  make  his  appearance  on  the 
prairie  the  warriors  all  followed  him,  hiding  themselves 
behind  the  temporary  fence  that  bounded  the  pis-kun. 
He  then  dressed  himself  in  a  bonnet  which  was  made 
of  the  head  of  a  buffalo,  and  with  a  robe  of  the  same 
animal  thrown  around  him  slowly  approached  the  peace- 
fully grazing  herd. 

Arriving  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  the  buffalo,  attracted 


THE   CROWS  307 

by  the  apparition,  looked  up.  The  medicine-man  walked 
then  very  deliberately  toward  the  opening  of  the  pis-kun. 
Generally  the  buffalo  began  to  follow  him,  and  as  he  saw 
that  they  did  so  he  increased  his  pace,  tlie  animals,  whose 
curiosity  Avas  aroused,  at  the  same  time  doing  the  same. 

When  the  herd  w^as  securely  within  the  corral,  the 
hidden  Indians  suddenly  rose  from  their  places,  yelling  as 
only  savages  can,  at  the  same  instant  shaking  their  robes, 
and  the  stampeded  animals  rushed  headlong  to  their 
death  over  the  precipice.  Hundreds  were  instantly  killed, 
while  others  were  so  dreadfully  disabled  as  to  make  them 
an  easy  prey.  Then  commenced  an  indiscriminate  skin- 
ning and  cutting  up,  the  chiefs  and  most  noted  warriors 
receiving  the  choicest  meat. 

As  has  been  the  fate  of  nearly  all  the  Indian  tribes 
west  of  the  Missouri  River,  the  smallpox  made  fearful 
inroads  among  the  Blackfeet.  It  first  appeared  in  1845,  and 
the  tribe  was  decimated.  In  fact,  it  is  said  that  the  dis- 
ease almost  swept  the  plains  of  Indians.  In  1757-1758, 
it  again  visited  them,  but  was  not  so  virulent  as  at  its  first 
appearance.  The  measles  carried  off  thousands  in  1864  ; 
and  again,  in  1869,  the  smallpox  broke  out  in  the  Black- 
feet  villages.  In  1883-1884,  strange  as  it  may  appear, 
twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  Piegan  band  actually  died 
from  hunger  I  The  cause  of  this  terrible  disaster  was 
that  the  buffalo  had  been  driven  from  the  Blackfoot  coun- 
try, or  rather  exterminated,  and  the  tribe,  which  had  ever 
wholly  depended  upon  that  animal  for  their  subsistence, 
in  a  short  time  was  reduced  to  a  state  of  absolute  star- 
vation. 

Like  the  buffalo,  the  once  powerful  Blackfeet  are  nearly 
all  gone.  The  few  left  are  living  on  a  small  reservation, 
and  are  somewhat  self-sustaining.  What  a  sad  commen- 
tary! Fifty  years  ago  the  Blackfeet  numbered  over  forty 
thousand  warriors,  and   their  name  was  a  terror  to  the 


808 


THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


white  man  who  liad  the  temerity  to  travel  through  their 
country. 

The  Blackfoot  account  of  creation  is  not  a  very  definite 
one ;  portions  of  it  are  too  vulgar  for  refined  ears,  but  in 
it  is  to  be  found  a  story  of  a  once  great  flood,  wliich 
seems  to  be  common  to  the  cosmogony  of  all  tribes. 


7/]€5phynx  £J:fio  Qnon.  Ut^ft. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


FOLK-LORE  OF   BLACKFEET  —  THE  LOST  CHILDREN  —  THE  WOLF- 
MAX  THE      UTES MASSACRE     OF     MAJOR     THORNBURGH's 

COMMAND      ON      THE      WHITE      RIVER THE      GREAT      CHIEF 

OURAY PIUTES THEIR  THEORIES   OF  THE  HEAVENS THE 

BIG    MEDICINE    SPRINGS CLOSED    HAND MAN    AFRAID    OF 

HIS    HORSES NO    KNIFE SITTING    BULL SPOTTED    TAIL 


HE  folk-lore  of  the  Black- 
feet  is  very  voluminous 
and  full  of  humour.  Of 
course,  as  in  other  tribes, 
superstition  and  en- 
chantment make  up  the 
basis  of  their  stories ; 
and  it  will  be  noticed  by  the 
student  of  their  traditions, 
that  there  is  that  same  marked 
similarity  to  those  related  in  the 
lodges  of  widely  separated  tribes,  in- 
dicating a  common  origin  for  them 
all.  Two  of  the  more  interesting  of  these  tales  are  "  The 
Lost  Children"  and  "The  Wolf-Man." 

"  Once  a  camp  of  people  stopped  on  the  bank  of  a  river. 
There  were  but  a  few  lodges  of  them.  One  day  the  little 
children  in  the  camp  crossed  the  river  to  play  on  the 
other  side.  For  some  time  they  stayed  near  the  bank, 
and  then  they  went  up  over  a  little  hill  and  found  a  bed 
of  sand  and  gravel ;  and  there  they  played  for  a  long 
time. 

809 


310  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  There  were  eleven  of  tliese  children.  Two  of  them 
were  daughters  of  the  chief  of  the  camp,  and  the  smaller 
of  these  wanted  the  best  of  everything.  If  any  child 
found  a  pretty  stone  she  would  try  to  take  it  for  herself. 
The  other  children  did  not  like  this,  and  they  began  to 
tease  the  little  girl,  and  to  take  her  things  away  from  her. 
Then  she  got  angry  and  began  to  cry,  and  the  more  she 
cried  the  more  the  children  teased  her  ;  so  at  last  she  and 
her  sister  left  the  others  and  went  back  to  camp. 

''  When  they  got  there  they  told  their  father  what  the 
other  children  had  done  to  them,  and  this  made  the  chief 
very  angry.  He  thought  for  a  little  while  and  then  got 
up  and  went  out  of  the  lodge,  and  called  aloud,  so  that 
everybody  might  hear,  saying  :  '  Listen  I  listen  !  Your 
children  have  teased  my  child  and  made  her  cry.  Noav 
we  will  move  away  and  leave  them  behind.  If  they  come 
back  before  we  get  started  they  shall  be  killed.  If  they 
follow  us  and  overtake  the  camp  they  shall  be  killed.  If 
the  father  and  mother  of  any  one  of  them  take  them  into 
their  lodge  I  will  kill  tliat  father  and  mother.  Hurry 
now,  hurry  and  pack  up,  so  that  we  can  go.  Everybody 
tear  down  the  lodges  as  quickly  as  you  can-.' 

"  When  the  people  heard  this  they  felt  very  sorry,  but 
they  had  to  do  as  the  chief  said ;  so  they  tore  down  the 
lodges  and  quickly  packed  the  dog  travois,  and  started 
off.  They  packed  in  such  a  hurry  that  they  left  many 
little  things  lying  in  camp, — knives  and  awls,  bone 
needles  and  moccasins. 

"The  little  children  played  about  in  the  sand  for  a 
long  time,  but  at  last  they  began  to  get  hungry ;  and  one 
little  girl  said  to  the  others,  '  I  will  go  back  to  the  camp 
and  get  some  dried  meat  and  bring  it  here,  so  that  we  may 
eat.'  And  she  started  to  go  to  the  camp.  When  she 
came  to  the  top  of  the  hill  and  looked  across  the  river 
she  saw  that  there  were  no  lodges  there,  and  did  not  know 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  311 

what  to  think  of  it.  She  called  down  to  the  children  and 
said,  '  The  camp  is  gone  ; '  but  they  did  not  believe  her, 
and  went  on  playing.  She  kept  on  calling  and  at  last  some 
of  them  came  to  her,  and  then  all  saw  that  it  was  as  she 
had  said.  They  went  down  to  the  river  and  crossed  it, 
and  went  to  where  the  lodges  had  stood.  When  they  got 
there  they  saw  on  the  ground  the  things  that  had  been 
left  out  in  the  packing  ;  and  as  each  child  saw  and  knew 
something  that  had  belonged  to  its  own  parents  it  cried, 
and  sang  a  little  song,  saying  :  '  Mother,  here  is  your  bone 
needle  ;  whj  did  you  leave  your  children  ? '  '  Father, 
here  is  your  arrow  ;  why  did  you  leave  your  children  ? ' 
It  was  very  mournful,  and  they  all  cried. 

"There  was  among  them  a  little  girl  who  had  on  her 
back  her  baby  brother,  whom  she  loved  dearly.  He  was 
very  young,  a  nursing  child,  and  already  he  Avas  hungry 
and  beginning  to  free.  This  little  girl  said  to  the  others: 
'  We  do  not  know  why  they  have  gone,  but  we  know  they 
have  gone.  We  must  follow  the  trail  of  the  camp  and 
try  to  catch  up  with  them.'  So  the  children  started  to 
follow  the  camp.  They  travelled  on  all  day  ;  and  just  at 
night  they  saw  a  little  lodge  near  the  trail.  They  had 
heard  the  people  talk  of  a  bad  old  woman  who  killed  and 
ate  people,  and  some  of  the  children  thought  that  this  old 
woman  might  live  here  ;  and  they  were  afraid  to  go  to 
the  lodge.  Others  said  :  '  Perhaps  some  one  lives  here 
who  has  a  good  heart.  We  are  very  tired  and  very 
hungry,  and  have  nothing  to  eat,  and  no  place  to  keep 
warm.     Let  us  go  to  tliis  lodge.' 

"  They  went  to  it  ;  and  when  they  went  in  they  saw 
an  old  woman  sitting  by  the  fire.  She  spoke  kindly  to 
them,  and  asked  them  where  they  were  travelling ;  and 
they  told  her  that  the  camp  had  moved  on  and  left  them, 
and  that  they  were  trying  to  find  their  people,  that  they 
had  nothing  to  eat,  and  were  tired  and  hungr3\     The  old 


312  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

woman  fed  them  and  told  them  to  sleep  there  to- night, 
and  to-morrow  they  could  go  on  and  find  their  people. 
'  The  camp,'  she  said,  '  passed  here  to-day  when  the  sun 
was  low.  They  have  not  gone  far.  To-morrow  you  will 
overtake  them.'  She  spread  some  robes  on  the  ground 
and  said  :  '  Now  lie  here  and  sleep.  Lie  side  by  side  with 
your  heads  towards  the  fire,  and  when  morning  comes  you 
can  go  on  your  journey.'  The  children  lay  down  and 
soon  slept. 

"  In  the  middle  of  the  night  the  old  woman  got  up  and 
built  a  big  fire,  and  put  on  it  a  big  stone  kettle  full  of 
water.  Then  she  took  a  big  knife,  and,  commencing  at 
one  end  of  the  row,  began  to  cut  off  the  heads  of  the 
children,  and  to  throw  them  into  the  pot.  The  little 
girl  with  the  baby  brother  lay  at  the  other  end  of  the  row, 
and  while  the  old  woman  was  doing  this  she  awoke  and 
saw  what  was  taking  place.  When  the  old  woman  came 
near  to  her  she  jumped  up  and  began  to  beg  that  she  would 
not  kill  her.  '  I  am  strong,'  she  said.  '  I  will  work  hard 
for  you.  I  can  bring  your  wood  and  water,  and  tan  your 
skins.  Do  not  kill  my  little  brother  and  me.  Take  pity 
on  us  and  save  us  alive.  Everybody  has  left  us,  but  do 
j^ou  have  pity.  You  shall  see  how  quickly  I  will  work, 
how  you  will  always  have  plenty  of  wood.  I  can  work 
quickly  and  well.'  The  old  woman  thought  for  a  little 
while,  then  she  said  :  '  Well,  I  will  let  you  live  for  a 
time,  anyhow.     You  shall  sleep  safely  to-night.' 

"  The  next  day,  early,  the  little  girl  took  her  brother  on 
her  back,  and  went  out  and  gathered  a  big  pile  of  Avood, 
and  brought  it  to  the  lodge  before  the  old  woman  was 
awake.  When  she  got  up  she  called  to  the  girl,  '  Go  to 
the  river  and  get  a  bucket  of  water.'  The  girl  put  her 
brother  on  her  back,  and  took  the  bucket  to  go.  The  old 
woman  said  to  her:  'Why  do  you  carry  that  child  every- 
where?    Leave  him  hero.'     The  little  girl  said:    'Not  so. 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  313 

He  is  always  with  me,  and  if  I  leave  him  he  will  cry  and 
make  a  great  noise,  and  you  will  not  like  that.'  The  old 
woman  grumbled,  but  the  girl  went  on  down  to  the  river. 

''''  When  she  got  there,  just  as  she  was  going  to  fill  her 
bucket,  she  saw  a  great  bull  standing  by  her.  It  was  a 
mountain  buffalo,  one  of  those  which  live  in  the  timber; 
and  the  long  hair  of  its  head  was  all  full  of  pine  needles 
and  sticks  and  branches,  and  matted  together.  (It  was  a 
Su-ye-stu-mik^  a  water-bull.)  When  the  girl  saw  him,  she 
prayed  him  to  take  her  across  the  river,  and  so  to  save  her 
and  her  little  brother  from  the  bad  old  woman.  The  bull 
said,  '  I  will  take  you  across,  but  first  you  must  take  some 
of  the  sticks  out  of  my  head.'  The  girl  begged  him 
to  start  at  once;  but  the  bull  said,  'No,  first  take  the 
sticks  out  of  my  head.'  The  girl  began  to  do  it,  but 
before  she  had  done  much  she  heard  the  old  woman  calling 
her  to  bring  the  water.  The  girl  called  back,  '  I  am  try- 
ing to  get  the  water  clear,'  and  went  on  fixing  the  buffalo's 
head.  The  old  woman  called  again,  saying,  '  Hurry,  hurry 
with  that  water.'  The  girl  answered,  'Wait,  I  am  wash- 
ing my  little  brother.'  Pretty  soon  the  old  woman  called 
out,  'If  you  don't  bring  that  water,  I  will  kill  you  and 
your  brother.'  By  this  time  the  girl  had  most  of  the 
sticks  out  of  the  bull's  head,  and  he  told  her  to  get  on  his 
back,  and  went  into  the  water  and  swam  across  the  river. 
As  he  reached  the  other  bank,  the  girl  could  see  the  old 
woman  coming  from  her  lodge  down  to  the  river  with  a 
big  stick  in  her  hand. 

"  When  the  bull  reached  the  bank,  the  girl  jumped  off 
his  back  and  started  off  on  the  trail  of  the  camp.  The 
bull  swam  back  again  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and 
there  stood  the  old  woman.  This  bull  was  a  sort  of 
servant  of  the  old  woman.  She  said  to  him,  '  Why  did 
you  take  those  children  across  the  river  ?  Take  me  on 
your  back  now  and  carry  me  across  quickly,  so  that  I  may 


314  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

catch  them."  But  the  bull  said,  '  First  take  these  sticks 
out  of  my  head.'  'No,'  said  the  old  woman;  'first  take 
me  across,  then  I  will  take  the  sticks  out.'  The  bull 
repeated,  '  First  take  the  sticks  out  of  my  head,  then  I  will 
take  you  across.'  This  made  the  old  woman  very  angry, 
and  she  hit  him  with  the  stick  she  had  in  her  hand;  but 
when  she  saw  that  he  would  not  go,  she  began  to  pull  the 
sticks  out  of  his  head  very  roughl}^,  tearing  out  great 
handfuls  of  hair,  and  every  moment  ordering  him  to  go, 
and  threatening  what  she  would  do  to  him  when  she  got 
back.  At  last  the  bull  took  her  on  his  back,  and  began  to 
swim  across  with  her,  but  he  did  not  swim  fast  enough  to 
please  her;  so  she  began  to  pound  him  Avith  her  club  to 
make  him  go  faster.  When  the  bull  got  to  the  middle 
of  the  river  he  rolled  over  on  his  side,  and  the  old  woman 
slipped  off,  and  was  carried  down  the  river  and  drowned. 

"The  girl  followed  the  trail  of  the  camp  for  several 
days,  feeding  on  berries  and  roots  that  she  dug  ;  and  at 
last  one  night  after  dark  she  overtook  the  camp.  She 
went  into  the  lodge  of  an  old  woman  who  was  camped  off 
at  one  side,  and  the  old  woman  pitied  her  and  gave  her 
some  food,  and  told  her  where  her  father's  lodge  was. 
The  girl  went  to  it,  but  when  she  went  in  her  parents 
would  not  receive  her.  She  had  tried  to  overtake  them 
for  the  sake  of  her  little  brother  who  was  growing  thin 
and  weak  because  he  had  not  been  fed  properly  ;  and  now 
her  mother  was  afraid  to  let  her  stay  with  them.  She 
even  went  and  told  the  chief  that  her  children  had  come 
back ;  lie  was  angry,  and  he  ordered  that  the  next  day 
they  should  be  tied  to  a  post  in  the  camp,  and  that  the 
people  should  move  on  and  leave  them  there.  '  Then,' 
he  said,  'they  cannot  follow  us.' 

"  AVhen  the  old  woman  who  had  pitied  the  children 
heard  what  the  chief  had  ordered,  she  made  up  a  bundle  of 
dried  meat,  and  hid  it  in  the  grass  near  the  camp.     Then 


FOLK-LOKE   OF    BLACIvFEET  315 

she  called  her  dog  to  her  —  a  little  curly  dog.  She  said 
to  the  dog  :  '  Now  listen.  To-morrow  when  we  are  ready 
to  start  I  will  call  you  to  come  to  me,  but  you  must  pay 
no  attention  to  what  I  say.  Run  oif  and  pretend  to  be 
chasing  squirrels.  I  will  try  to  catch  you,  and  if  I  do  so 
I  will  pretend  to  whip  you  ;  but  do  not  follow  me.  Stay 
behind,  and  when  the  camp  has  passed  out  of  sight,  chew 
off  the  strings  that  bind  those  children.  When  you 
have  done  this,  show  them  where  I  have  hidden  that  food. 
Then  you  can  follow  the  camp  and  overtake  us.'  The 
dog  stood  before  the  old  woman  and  listened  to  all  that 
she  said,  turning  his  head  from  side  to  side,  as  if  paying 
close  attention. 

"Next  morning  it  was  done  as  the  chief  had  said. 
The  children  were  tied  to  the  tree  with  rawhide  strings, 
and  the  people  tore  down  all  the  lodges  and  moved  off.  The 
old  woman  called  her  dog  to  follow  her,  but  he  was 
digging  at  a  gopher  hole  and  would  not  come.  Then  she 
went  up  to  him  and  struck  at  him  hard  with  her  whip, 
but  he  dodged  and  ran  away,  and  then  stood  looking  at  her. 
Then  the  old  woman  became  very  angry  and  cursed  him, 
but  he  paid  no  attention  ;  and  finally  she  left  him,  and 
followed  the  camp.  When  the  people  had  all  passed  out 
of  sight,  the  dog  went  to  the  children  and  gnawed  the 
string's  which  tied  them  until  he  had  bitten  them  througfh. 
So  the  children  were  free. 

"  Then  the  dog  was  glad,  and  danced  about  and  barked, 
and  ran  round  and  round.  Pretty  soon  he  came  up  to  the 
little  girl  and  looked  up  in  her  face,  and  then  started 
away,  trotting.  Every  little  while  he  would  stop  and 
look  back.  The  girl  thought  he  wanted  her  to  follow 
him.  She  did  so,  and  he  took  her  to  where  the  bundle  of 
dried  meat  was  and  showed  it  to  her.  Then,  when  he 
had  done  this,  he  jumped  upon  her  and  licked  the  baby's 
face,  and  then  started  off,  running  as  hard  as  he   could 


316  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

along  the  trail  of  the  camp,  never  stopping  to  look  back. 
The  girl  did  not  follow  him.  She  now  knew  it  was  no 
use  to  go  to  the  camp  again.  Their  parents  would  not 
receive  them,  and  the  chief  would  perhaps  order  them  to 
be  killed. 

"  Slie  went  on  her  way,  carrying  her  little  brother  and 
tlie  bundle  of  dried  meat.  She  travelled  for  many  days 
and  at  last  came  to  a  place  where  she  thought  she  would 
stop.  Here  she  built  a  little  lodge  of  poles  and  brush, 
and  stayed  there.  One  night  she  had  a  dream,  and  an 
old  woman  came  to  her,  in  the  dream,  and  said  to  her, 
'  To-morrow  take  3'our  little  brother  and  tie  him  to  one 
of  tlie  lodge  poles,  and  the  next  day  tie  him  to  another, 
and  so  every  day  tie  him  to  one  of  the  poles  until  you  have 
gone  all  around  the  lodge  and  have  tied  him  to  each  pole. 
Then  you  will  be  helped,  and  will  no  longer  have  bad 
luck.' 

"  When  the  girl  awoke  in  the  morning  she  remembered 
what  the  dream  had  told  her,  and  she  bound  her  little 
brother  to  one  of  the  lodge  poles  ;  and  each  day  after  this 
she  tied  him  to  one  of  the  poles.  Each  day  he  grew 
larger,  until,  when  she  had  gone  all  around  the  lodge,  he 
was  grown  to  be  a  line  young  man. 

"Now  the  girl  was  glad,  and  proud  of  her  young 
brother  who  was  so  large  and  noble-looking.  He  was 
quiet,  not  speaking  much,  and  sometimes  for  days  he 
would  not  say  anything.  He  seemed  to  be  thinking  all 
the  time.  One  morning  he  told  the  girl  that  he  had  a 
dream  and  that  he  wished  her  to  help  him  build  a  pis-kun. 
She  was  afraid  to  ask  him  about  the  dream,  for  she  thought 
if  she  asked  questions  he  might  not  like  it.  So  she  just 
said  she  was  ready  to  do  what  he  wished.  They  built  the 
pis-kun,  and  when  it  was  finished  the  boy  said  to  his 
sister,  '  The  buffalo  are  to  come  to  us,  and  you  are  not 
to  see  them.     When  the  time  comes  you  are  to  cover  your 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  317 

head  and  to  hold  your  face  close  to  the  ground  ;  and  do 
not  lift  your  head  nor  look,  until  I  throw  a  piece  of 
kidney  to  you.'     The  girl  said,  '  It  shall  be  as  you  say.' 

"  When  the  time  came,  the  boy  told  her  where  to  go ; 
and  she  went  to  the  place,  a  little  way  from  the  lodge, 
not  far  from  the  corral,  and  sat  down  on  the  ground,  and 
covered  her  head,  holding  her  face  close  to  the  earth. 
After  she  had  sat  there  a  little  while,  she  heard  the  sound 
of  animals  running,  and  she  was  excited  and  curious,  and 
raised  her  head  to  look ;  but  she  saw  only  her  brother, 
standing  near,  looking  at  her.  Before  he  could  speak, 
she  said  to  him,  'I  thought  I  heard  buffalo  coming,  and 
because  I  was  anxious  for  food  I  forgot  my  promise  and 
looked.  Forgive  me  this  time,  and  I  will  try  again.' 
Again  she  bent  her  face  to  the  ground,  and  covered  her 
head. 

"  Soon  she  heard  again  the  sound  of  animals  running, 
at  first  a  long  way  off,  and  then  coming  nearer  and  nearer, 
until  at  last  they  seemed  close,  and  she  thought  they  were 
going  to  run  over  her.  She  sprang  up  in  fright  and  looked 
about,  but  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  her  brother, 
looking  sadly  at  her.  She  went  close  to  him  and  said, 
'  Pity  me.  I  was  afraid,  for  I  thought  the  buffalo  were 
going  to  run  over  me.'  He  said,  'This  is  the  last  time. 
If  again  you  look,  we  will  starve ;  but  if  you  do  not  look, 
we  will  always  have  plenty,  and  will  never  be  without 
meat.'  The  girl  looked  at  him  and  said,  'I  will  try  hard 
this  time,  and  even  if  those  animals  run  right  over  me,  I 
will  not  look  until  you  throw  the  kidney  to  me.'  Again 
she  covered  her  head,  pressing  her  face  against  the  earth 
and  putting  her  hands  against  her  ears,  so  that  she  might 
not  hear.  Suddenly,  sooner  than  she  thought,  she  felt  the 
blow  from  the  meat  thrown  at  her,  and  springing  up,  she 
seized  the  kidney  and  began  to  eat  it.  Not  far  away  was 
her  brother,  bending  over  a  fat  cow  ;  and,  going  up  to  him. 


318  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

she  helped  him  with  the  butchering.  After  that  was  done, 
she  kindled  a  tire  and  cooked  the  best  parts  of  the  meat, 
and  they  ate  and  were  satisfied. 

"  The  boy  became  a  great  hunter.  He  made  fine  arrows 
that  went  faster  than  a  bird  could  fly,  and  when  he  was 
hunting  he  watched  all  the  animals  and  all  the  birds,  arid 
learned  their  ways  and  how  to  imitate  them  when  they 
called.  While  lie  was  hunting,  the  girl  dressed  buffalo- 
hides  and  the  skins  of  deer  and  other  animals.  She  made 
a  fine  new  lodge,  and  the  boy  painted  it  with  figures  of  all 
the  birds  and  the  animals  he  had  killed. 

"  One  day,  when  the  girl  Avas  bringing  water,  she  saw 
a  little  way  off  a  person  coming.  When  she  went  in  the 
lodge,  she  told  her  brother,  and  he  went  out  to  meet  the 
stranger.  He  found  that  he  was  friendl}'  and  was  hunt- 
ing, but  had  had  bad  luck  and  killed  nothing.  He  was 
starving  and  in  despair,  when  he  saw  this  lone  lodge  and 
made  up  his  mind  to  go  to  it.  As  he  came  near  it,  he 
began  to  be  afraid,  and  to  wonder  if  the  people  who  lived 
there  w^ere  enemies  or  ghosts ;  but  he  thought,  '  I  may  as 
well  die  here  as  starve,'  so  he  went  boldly  to  it.  The 
strange  person  was  very  much  surprised  to  see  this  hand- 
some 3'oung  man  with  the  kind  face,  who  could  speak  his 
own  language.  The  boy  took  him  into  the  lodge,  and  the 
girl  put  food  before  him.  After  he  had  eaten,  he  told  his 
stor}-,  saying  that  the  game  had  left  them,  and  that  many 
of  his  people  were  dj'ing  of  hunger.  As  he  talked,  the 
girl  listened  ;  and  at  last  she  remembered  the  man,  and 
knew  that  he  belonged  to  her  camp. 

"  She  asked  him  some  questions,  and  he  talked  about 
all  the  people  in  the  camp,  and  even  spoke  of  the  old 
woman  who  owned  the  dog.  The  boy  advised  the 
stranger,  after  he  had  rested,  to  return  to  his  camp  and 
tell  the  people  to  move  up  to  this  place,  that  here  they 
would  find  plenty  of  game.     After  he  had  gone,  the  boy 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  319 

and  his  sister  talked  of  these  things.  The  girl  had  often 
told  him  what  she  had  suffered,  what  the  chief  had  said 
and  done,  and  how  their  own  parents  had  turned  against 
her,  and  that  the  only  person  whose  heart  had  been  good 
to  her  was  this  old  woman.  As  the  young  man  heard 
all  this  again,  he  was  angry  at  his  parents  and  the  cliief, 
but  he  felt  great  kindness  for  the  old  woman  and  her  dog. 
When  he  learned  that  those  bad  people  were  living,  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  they  should  suffer  and  die. 

"  When  the  strange  man  reached  his  own  camp,  he  told 
the  people  how  Avell  he  had  been  treated  by  these  two 
persons,  and  that  they  wished  him  to  bring  the  whole  camp 
to  them,  and  that  there  they  should  have  plenty. 

"  This  made  great  joy  in  the  camp,  and  all  got  ready  to 
move.  When  they  reached  the  lost  children's  camp,  they 
found  everything  as  the  stranger  had  said.  The  brother 
gave  a  feast ;  and  to  those  whom  he  liked  he  gave  many 
presents,  but  to  the  old  woman  and  the  dog  he  gave  the 
best  presents  of  all.  To  the  chief  nothing  at  all  was  given, 
and  this  made  him  very  much  ashamed.  To  the  parents 
no  food  was  given,  but  the  boy  tied  a  bone  to  the  lodge 
poles  above  the  fire,  and  told  the  parents  to  eat  from  it 
without  touching  it  with  their  hands.  They  were  very 
hungry,  and  tried  to  eat  from  this  bone  ;  and  as  they 
were  stretching  out  their  necks  to  reach  it  —  for  it  was 
above  them  —  the  boy  cut  off  their  heads  with  his  knife. 
This  frightened  all  the  people,  the  chief  most  of  all ;  but 
the  boy  told  them  how  it  all  was,  and  how  he  and  his 
sister  had  survived. 

"  When  he  had  finished  speaking,  the  chief  said  he  was 
sorrj^  for  what  he  had  done,  and  he  proposed  to  his  people 
that  this  young  man  should  be  made  their  chief.  They 
were  glad  to  do  this.  The  boy  was  made  the  chief,  and 
lived  long  to  rule  the  people  in  that  camp." 

The  story  of  the  Wolf-Man  runs  as  follows:  — 


320  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

"  There  was  once  a  man  who  had  two  bad  wives.  They 
had  no  shame.  The  man  thought  if  he  moved  away  where 
there  were  no  other  peo})le,  he  might  teach  these  women 
to  become  good,  so  he  moved  his  lodge  away  oil'  on  the 
prairie.  Near  where  they  camped  was  a  high  butte,  and 
every  evening  about  sundown  the  man  would  go  up  on 
top  of  it,  and  look  all  over  the  country  to  see  where  the 
buffalo  were  feeding,  and  if  an}-  enemies  were  approach- 
ing. There  was  a  buffalo-skull  on  the  hill,  which  he  used 
to  sit  on. 

" '  This  is  very  lonesome,'  said  one  woman  to  the  other, 
one  da}'.     'We  have  no  one  to  talk  with,  nor  to  visit.' 

" '  Let  us  kill  our  husband,'  said  the  other.  '  Then  we 
will  go  back  to  our  relations  and  have  a  good  time.' 

"  Early  in  the  morning  the  man  went  out  to  hunt,  and  as 
soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight,  his  wives  went  up  on  top  of 
the  butte.  There  they  dug  a  deep  pit,  and  covered  it 
over  with  light  sticks,  grass,  and  dirt,  and  placed  the 
buft'alo-skull  on  top. 

"  In  the  afternoon  they  saw  their  husband  coming 
home,  loaded  down  with  meat  he  had  killed.  So  they 
hurried  to  cook  for  him.  After  eating,  he  went  up  on 
the  butte  and  sat  down  on  the  skull.  The  slender  sticks 
gave  way,  and  he  fell  into  the  pit.  His  wives  were 
watching  him,  and  when  they  saw  him  disappear,  tliey 
took  down  the  lodge,  packed  everything  on  the  dog 
travois,  and  moved  off,  going  toward  the  main  camp. 
When  they  got  near  it,  so  that  the  people  could  hear 
them,  they  began  to  cry  and  mourn. 

"'Why  is  this?'  they  were  asked.  'Why  are  you  in 
mourning?     Where  is  your  husband  ?  ' 

" '  He  is  dead,'  they  replied.  '  Five  days  ago  he  went 
out  on  a  hunt,  and  he  never  came  back.'  And  they  cried 
and  mourned  again. 

"  Wlien  the  man  fell  into  the  pit,  he  was  hurt.     After 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  321 

a  while  he  tried  to  get  out,  but  he  was  so  badly  bruised 
he  could  not  climb  up.  A  wolf  travelling  along  came  to 
the  pit  and  saw  him,  and  pitied  him.  '  Ah-h-w-o-o-o-o  I 
Ah-h-w-o-o-o-o  I  '  he  howled,  and  when  the  other  wolves 
heard  him  they  all  came  running  to  see  what  was  the 
matter.  There  came  also  many  coyotes,  badgers,  and 
kit-foxes. 

"  '  In  this  hole,'  said  the  wolf,  '  is  my  find.  Here  is  a 
fallen-in  man.  Let  us  dig  him  out,  and  we  will  have  him 
for  our  brother.' 

"  They  all  thought  the  wolf  spoke  well,  and  began  to 
dig.  In  a  little  while  they  had  a  hole  close  to  the  man. 
Then  the  wolf  who  found  him  said,  '  Hold  on  ;  I  want  to 
speak  a  few  words  to  you.'  All  the  animals  listening,  he 
continued,  'We  will  all  have  this  man  for  our  brother, 
but  I  found  him,  so  I  think  he  ought  to  live  with  us  big 
wolves.'  All  the  others  said  that  this  was  well;  so  the 
wolf  went  into  the  hole,  and,  tearing  down  the  rest  of  the 
dirt,  dragged  out  the  almost  dead  man.  They  gave  him 
a  kidney  to  eat,  and  when  he  was  able  to  walk  a  little, 
the  big  wolves  took  him  to  their  home.  Here  there  was 
a  very  old  blind  wolf,  who  had  powerful  medicine.  He 
cured  the  man,  and  made  his  head  and  hands  look  like 
those  of  a  wolf.     The  rest  of  his  body  was  not  changed. 

"  In  those  days  the  people  used  to  make  holes  in  the 
pis-kun  walls  and  set  snares,  and  when  wolves  and  other 
animals  came  to  steal  meat,  they  were  caught  by  the  neck. 
One  night  the  wolves  all  went  down  to  the  pis-kun  to 
steal  meat,  and  when  they  got  close  to  it,  the  man-wolf 
said,  '  Stand  here  a  little.  I  will  go  down  and  fix  the 
places,  so  you  will  not  be  caught.'  He  went  on  and 
sprung  all  the  snares  ;  then  he  went  back  and  called  the 
wolves  and  others,  —  the  coj'otes,  badgers,  and  foxes,  — 
and  they  all  went  in  the  pis-kun  and  feasted,  and  took 
meat  to  carry  home. 


322  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  In  the  morning  the  people  Avere  surprised  to  find  the 
meat  gone,  and  their  nooses  all  drawn  out.  They  won- 
dered how  it  could  have  been  done.  For  many  nights 
the  nooses  were  drawn  and  the  meat  stolen ;  but  once, 
when  the  wolves  went  there  to  steal,  they  found  only  the 
meat  of  a  scabby  bull,  and  the  man-wolf  was  angry, 
and  cried  out,  '  Bad-you-give-us-o-o-o  !  Bad-you-give- 
us-o-o-o  I ' 

"  The  people  heard  him  and  said,  '  It  is  a  man-wolf 
who  has  done  all  this.  We  will  catch  him.'  So  they  put 
pemmican  and  nice  back  fat  in  the  pis-kun,  and  many  hid 
close  by.  After  dark  the  wolves  came  again,  and  when 
the  man-wolf  saw  the  good  food,  he  ran  to  it  and  began 
eating.  Then  the  people  all  rushed  in  and  caught  him 
with  ropes  and  took  him  to  a  lodge.  When  they  got  in- 
side to  the  light  of  the  fire,  they  knew  at  once  who  it  was. 
They  said,  '  This  is  the  man  who  was  lost.' 

"  '  No,'  said  the  man,  '  I  was  not  lost.  My  wives  tried 
to  kill  me.  They  dug  a  deep  hole,  and  I  fell  into  it,  and 
I  was  hurt  so  badly  that  I  could  not  get  out ;  but  the 
wolves  took  pity  on  me  and  helped  me,  or  I  would  have 
died  there.' 

"  When  the  people  heard  this  they  were  angry,  and 
they  told  the  man  to  do  something. 

" '  You  say  well,'  he  replied.  '  I  give  those  women  to 
the  I-hin-uh-kah-tsi ;  they  know  what  to  do.' 

"  After  that  night  the  two  women  were  never  seen 
again."  1 

"  The  Utes  are  strictly  mountain  Indians.  They  were 
a  fierce,  warlike  tribe,  and  for  years  continuously  raided 
the  sparse  settlements  at  the  base  of  the  Rocky  INIountains 
on  both  their  slopes.  They  were  known  to  the  Spaniards 
early  in  the  seventeenth  century.     The  Utah  Nation  is  an 

1  For  the  best  and  most  authentic  collection  of  Indian  Folk-lore,  see 
George  Bird  Grinnel's  admirable  volumes  on  the  subject. 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  328 

integral  part  of  the  great  Shoshone  family,  of  which  there 
are  a  number  of  bands,  or  tribes,  —  the  Pah-Utes,  or  Py- 
Utes,  tlie  Pi-Utes,  the  Gosh-Utes,  or  Goshutes,  the  Pi- 
Edes,  the  Uinta-Utes,  the  Yam-Pah-Utes,  besides  others 
not  necessary  to  enumerate. 

"The  word  Utah  originated  with  the  people  inhabiting 
the  mountain  region  early  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
when  New  Mexico  was  first  talked  of  by  the  Spanish  con- 
querors. Pah  signifies  water  ;  Pah-guampe,  salt  water, 
or  salt  lake  ;  Pah-Utes,  Indians  that  live  about  the  water. 
The  word  was  spelled  in  various  ways,  '  Yutas '  by  the 
early  Spaniards.  This  is  perhaps  the  proper  w^ay.  Other 
spellings  are  '  Youta,' '  Eutaw,' '  Utaw,'  and  '  Utah,'  which 
is  now  the  accepted  one."^ 

The  Utes,  unquestionably,  were  the  Indians  concerned 
in  the  "Mountain  Meadows  Massacre."  The  Utes,  too, 
were  the  tribe  that  committed  the  atrocities  at  their 
agenc}^  killing  the  Meeker  family  and  others  there,  finish- 
ing their  deeds  of  murder  by  the  massacre  of  Major 
T.  T.  Thornburgh's  command  on  the  White  River  in  1879. 
The  terrible  story  is  worth  recounting  :  — 

"  Major  T.  T.  Thornburgh,  commanding  officer  of  the 
Fourth  United  States  Infantry,  at  Fort  Fred  Steele  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  in  Wyoming,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  expedition  which  left  Rawlins  for  White  River 
Agency,  September  24.  The  command  consisted  of  tw^o 
companies,  D  and  F  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry,  and  Company 
E  of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  the  officers  included  in  the  de- 
tachment being  Captains  Payne  and  Lawson  of  the  Fifth 
Cavalry,  Lieutenant  Paddock  of  the  Third  Cavalry,  and 
Lieutenants  Price  and  Wooley  of  the  Fourth  Infantry,  with 
Dr.  Grimes  accompanying  the  command  as  surgeon.  Fol- 
lowing the  troops  was  a  supply-train  of  thirty-three  wagons. 

"  When  the  command  reached  the  place  known  as  Old 

1  Bancroft. 


324  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Foitification  Camp,  Company  E  of  the  Fourth  Infantry, 
with  Lieutenant  Price  in  command,  was  dropped  from  the 
command,  the  design  of  this  step  being  to  afford  protec- 
tion to  passing  supply-trains,  and  to  act  as  a  reserve  in 
case  there  was  demand  for  it.  INIajor  Thornburgh  turned 
his  face  toward  the  Indian  country  in  deep  earnest,  with 
the  balance  of  his  command  consisting  of  the  three  cavalry 
companies  numbering  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  men. 

"  Having  been  directed  to  use  all  despatch  in  reaching 
the  agency,  the  major  marched  forward  with  as  great 
rapidity  as  possible.  The  route  selected  is  not  well 
travelled,  and  is  mountainous,  and  of  course  the  troops 
did  not  proceed  so  rapidly  as  they  might  have  done  on 
more  familiar  highways. 

"Nothing  was  seen  of  or  heard  from  the  Indians  until 
Bear  River  was  reached  ;  this  runs  north  of  the  reserva- 
tion and  almost  parallel  with  the  northern  line.  At  the 
crossing  of  this  stream,  about  sixty-five  miles  from  White 
River  Agency,  ten  Indians,  headed  by  two  Ute  chiefs, 
Colorow  and  Jack,  made  their  appearance.  They  were 
closely  questioned,  but  j)rofessed  great  friendliness  for 
the  whites  and  Avould  betray  none  of  the  secrets  of  their 
tribe.  They  declared  that  they  were  merely  out  on  a 
hunt,  and  repeated  that  they  were  friends  of  the  white 
man  and  of  the  Great  Father's  government,  and  especially 
of  the  Great  Father's  soldiers. 

"After  this  parle}',  which  took  place  September  26, 
Thornburgh  sent  his  last  telegram  from  camp  :  '  Have 
met  some  of  the  Ute  chiefs  here.  They  seem  friendly 
and  j)romise  to  go  with  me  to  the  agency.  They  say  the 
Utes  don't  understand  why  we  came  here.  I  have  tried 
to  explain  satisfactorily  ;  don't  now  anticipate  any  trouble.' 
The  conclusion  is  that  Thornburgh  was  one  of  the  most 
prudent  and  discreet  of  officers,  but  that  he  was  thrown 
off  his  guard  by  the  savages. 


FOLK-LORE   OF    BLACKFEET  325 

"  The  march  was  continued  and  nothing  more  was  seen 
of  the  Indians  though  a  close  watch  by  keen-eyed  scouts 
was  kept  up  for  them,  until  Williams'  Fork,  a  small  tribu- 
tary of  Bear  River,  was  reached,  when  the  same  ten 
Indians  first  seen  again  quite  suddenly  and  very  mysteri- 
ously appeared.  They  renewed  their  protestations  of 
friendship,  while  they  covertly  and  critically  eyed  the 
proportions  of  the  command.  They  made  a  ^proposition  to 
the  commander  that  he  take  an  escort  of  five  soldiers  and 
accompany  them  to  the  agency.  A  halt  was  called  and 
Major  Thornburgh  summoned  his  staff  to  a  consultation. 
After  carefully  discussing  the  matter  with  a  due  regard 
for  the  importance,  the  advantage,  and  disadvantage  of 
the  step,  the  officers'  council  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  was  not  wise  to  accept  this  proffer  on  the  part  of  the 
Indians,  as  it  might  lead  to  another  INIodoc  trap,  and  to 
Thornburgh's  becoming  another  Canby.  Thornburgh's 
scout,  Mr.  Joseph  Rankin,  was  especially  strong  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  request  of  the  Indians. 

"  ^Nlajor  Thornburgh  then  concluded  to  march  his  col- 
umn within  hailing  distance  of  the  agency,  where  he 
\vould  accept  the  proposition  of  the  Indians.  But  he  was 
never  allowed  to  carry  out  his  designs.  Here  it  became 
apparent  how  thin  the  disguise  of  friendship  had  been, 
and  Thornburgh  was  soon  convinced  how  fatal  would 
have  been  the  attempt  for  him,  accompanied  by  only 
five  men,  to  treat  with  them. 

"  The  command  had  reached  the  point  where  the  road 
crosses  Milk  River,  another  tributary  of  the  Bear  River, 
inside  the  reservation  and  in  the  limits  of  Summit  County, 
about  twenty-five  miles  north  of  the  agency,  when  they 
were  attacked  by  the  hostiles,  numbering,  it  is  believed, 
between  two  hundred  and  fifty  and  three  hundred  war- 
riors, who  had  been  lying  in  ambush. 

"  The  scene  of  the  attack  was  peculiarly  fitted  for  the 


326  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TKAIL 

Indian  method  of  warfare.  When  Thornburgh's  com- 
mand entered  the  ravine  or  canon  they  found  themselves 
between  two  bluffs  thirteen  hundred  yards  apart.  Those 
on  the  north  were  two  hundred  feet  high,  those  on  tlie 
south  one  hundred  feet.  The  road  to  the  agency  ran 
through  the  ravine  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  following 
the  bend  of  the  Milk  River,  at  a  distance  of  five  hundred 
yards.  Milk  River  is  a  narrow,  shallow  stream,  which 
liere  flows  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  passing  through  a 
narrow  caiion.  Through  this  canon,  after  making  a  de- 
tour to  avoid  some  very  difficult  ground,  the  wagon-road 
passes  for  three  or  four  miles.  Along  the  stream  is  a 
groAvth  of  Cottonwood  trees  ;  but  its  great  advantage  as 
an  ambuscade  lies  in  the  narrowness  of  the  caiion.  On 
the  top  of  the  two  ranges  of  bluffs  the  Indians  had  in- 
trenched themselves  in  a  series  of  pits,  so  that  when  the 
troops  halted  at  the  first  volley,  they  stood  between  two 
fires  at  a  range  of  only  six  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from 
either  bluff. 

"  The  battle  took  place  on  the  morning  of  September  29. 
The  locality  of  the  ambush  had  been  known  as  Bad  Caiion, 
but  it  will  hereafter  be  described  as  Thornburgh's  Pass. 
Lieutenant  Cheri-y  discovered  tlie  ambush,  and  was  ordered 
by  ^Nlajor  Thornburgh  to  hail  the  Indians.  He  took  fif- 
teen men  of  E  Company  for  this  work.  Major  Thorn- 
bursfli's  orders  were  not  to  make  the  first  fire  on  the 
Indians,  but  to  wait  an  attack  from  them.  After  the  Ind- 
ians and  Cherry's  liailing  party  had  faced  each  other  for 
about  ten  minutes,  Mr.  Rankin,  the  scout,  Avho  was  an  old 
Indian  fighter,  seeing  the  danger  in  which  the  command 
was  placed,  hurried  direct  to  Major  Thornburgh's  side 
and  requested  him  to  open  fire  on  the  enemy,  saying  at 
the  same  time  tliat  that  was  their  only  hope.  Major 
Thornburgh  replied  :  — 

" '  My  God  !  I  dare  not ;  my  orders  are  positive,  and  if 


FOLK-LORE   OF   BLACKFEET  327 

I  violate  them  and  survive,  a  court-martial  and  ignomini- 
ous dismissal  may  follow.  I  feel  as  though  myself  and 
men  were  to  be  murdered.' 

"  Major  Thornburgh,  with  Captain  Payne,  was  riding 
at  the  head  of  the  column  ;  Company  F,  Fifth  Cavalry, 
in  advance ;  Lieutenant  Lawson  connnanding  next ;  and 
D  Company,  Fifth  Cavalry,  Lieutenant  Paddock  com- 
manding, about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  rear,  in  charge  of 
the  wagon-train. 

"  Cherry  had  moved  out  at  a  galloi)  with  his  men  from 
the  right  flank,  and  noticed  a  like  movement  of  about 
twenty  Indians  from  the  left  of  tlie  Indians'  position. 
He  approached  to  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the 
Indians  and  took  off  his  hat  and  waved  it,  but  the  re- 
sponse was  a  shot  tired  at  him,  wounding  a  man  of  the 
party  and  killing  his  horse.  This  was  the  first  shot,  and 
was  instantly  followed  by  a  volley  from  the  Indians. 
The  work  had  now  begun  in  real  earnest,  and  seeing  the 
advantage  of  the  position  he  then  held.  Cherry  dismounted 
his  detachment  and  deployed  along  the  crest  of  the  hill  to 
prevent  the  Indians  flanking  his  position,  or  to  cover  his 
retreat  if  found  necessary  to  retire  upon  the  wagon-train, 
which  was  then  coming  up  slowly,  guarded  by  Lieutenant 
Paddock's  company,  D,  Fifth  Cavalry. 

"  Orders  were  sent  to  pack  the  wagons  and  cover  them, 
with  the  company  guarding  them.  Tlie  two  com^^anies 
in  advance  were  Captain  Payne's  company,  F,  Fifth 
Cavalry,  and  Lieutenant  Lawson's  company,  E,  Third 
Cavalry,  which  were  dismounted  and  deployed  as  skir- 
mishers. Captain  Payne  on  the  left  and  Lieutenant  Lawson 
on  the  right. 

"  From  Cherry's  position  he  could  see  that  the  Indians 
were  trying  to  cut  him  off  from  the  wagons,  and  at  once 
sent  word  to  Major  Thornburgh,  who  then  withdrew  the 
line  slowly,  keeping  the  Indians  in  check  until  opposite 


328  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

the  point  which  his  men  had,  when,  seeing  that  the  Ind- 
ians were  concentrating  to  cut  off  his  retreat,  Caj)tain 
Payne,  with  Com})any  F,  Fifth  Cavalry,  was  ordered  to 
charge  the  hill,  which  lie  did  in  gallant  style,  his  horse 
being  shot  under  him  and  several  of  liis  men  wounded. 

"  The  Indians  being  driven  from  this  point,  the  company 
was  rallied  on  the  wagon-train.  Major  Thornburgh  then 
gave  orders  to  Cherry  to  hold  his  position  and  cover  the 
retreat  of  Lieutenant  Lawson,  Avho  was  ordered  to  fall 
back  slowly  with  the  company  horses  of  his  company. 

"  Cherry  called  for  volunteers  of  twenty  men,  who  re- 
sponded promptly  and  fought  with  desperation.  Nearly 
every  man  was  wounded  before  he  reached  camp,  and  two 
men  were  killed.  Cherry  brought  every  wounded  man 
in  with  him.  Lieutenant  Lawson  displayed  the  greatest 
coolness  and  courage  during  this  retreat,  sending  up  am- 
munition to  Cherry's  men  when  once  they  were  nearly 
without  it. 

"  Simultaneously  with  the  attack  on  Thornburgh's  ad- 
vance the  Indians  swept  in  between  the  troops  and  the 
wagon-train,  which  was  protected  by  D  Company,  Lieu- 
tenant Paddock  commanding.  The  desperate  situation 
of  the  soldiers  in  the  ravine  was  at  once  apparent  to 
every  officer  and  man  in  the  ambush.  The  soldiers 
fought  valiantly,  desperately,  and  the  Indians  shrank 
under  the  terrible  counter  fire.  A  more  complete  trap 
could  not  be  contrived,  for  the  troops  were  not  only  out- 
numbered, but  exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from  the  bluffs, 
over  the  edge  of  which  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the  foe, 
as  the  range  of  sight  would,  of  course,  carry  bullets  clean 
over  the  Indian  pits. 

"  Major  Thornburgh  was  here  and  there  and  every- 
where, directing  the  attack,  the  defence,  and  later  the 
retreat.  He  was  constantly  exposed  to  fire,  and  the 
wonder  is  that  his  intrepidity  did  not  win  his  death  ere 


FOLK-LORE   OF    BLACKFEET  329 

it  did.  Captain  Payne  and  his  company,  under  orders 
from  Thornburgli,  fell  back  to  a  knoll,  followed  by  Lieu- 
tenant Lawson  and  company,  the  retreat  being  covered 
by  Lieutenant  Cherry's  command.  Hemmed  in  at  both 
outlets  of  the  pass  and  subjected  to  a  steady  deathly  fire 
from  the  heights  on  either  side,  the  troops  were  melting 
down  under  the  savage  massacre. 

"  Major  Thornburgh,  seeing  the  terrible  danger  in 
which  his  connnand  was  placed  from  the  position  of  the 
Indians,  at  once  mounted  about  twenty  men,  and  at  the 
head  of  them  he  dashed  forward  with  a  valour  unsurpassed 
by  Napoleon  at  the  Bridge  of  Lodi,  and  made  a  charge  on 
the  savages  between  the  command  and  the  train. 

"  It  was  in  this  valorous  dash  that  Thornburgh  met  his 
fate,  thirteen  of  his  bold  followers  also  being  killed,  the 
gallant  leader  falling  within  four  hundred  yards  of  the 
wagons.  The  remainder  of  the  command,  then  in  retreat 
for  the  train  corral,  followed  the  path  led  by  Thornburgh 
and  his  men.  As  Captain  Payne's  company  was  about  to 
start,  or  had  started,  his  saddle-girth  broke  and  he  got  a 
fearful  fall.  One  of  his  men  dismounted  and  assisted 
him  on  his  horse,  the  captain's  horse  having  run  away. 
F  Company,  Fifth,  followed  by  the  captain,  he  being 
badly  bruised,  reached  the  wagon-train  to  find  it  being 
packed,  and  Lieutenant  Paddock  wounded,  and  fighting 
the  Indians.  Lieutenants  Lawson  and  Cherry  fell  back 
slowly  Avith  their  companies  dismounted  and  fighting  all 
the  way,  every  man  doing  his  duty. 

"  The  stubborn  resistance  of  Lieutenant  Cherry  in 
covering  the  retreat  gave  time  for  tlie  troops  at  the  train 
to  form  temporary  breastworks  of  men's  bundles,  flour, 
sacks  of  corn,  wagons,  and  dead  horses.  When  the  last 
detachment  had  reached  the  Paddock  corral  the  soldiers 
fought  intrenched,  horses  being  shot  down  rapidly  and 
the  foe  settling  into  position  on  all  the  high  points  about 


330  THE    GUEAT    SALT    LAKE    TUAl.. 

tlicMu.  Captain  Payne,  who  by  Thornbur^irs  death  came 
into  command,  drew  up  eight  of  the  wagons  and  ranged 
them  as  a  sort  of  a  breastwork  along  the  northern  and 
eastern  sides  of  an  oval,  at  the  same  time  cutting  trans- 
verse trenches  on  the  western  and  southern  points  of  the 
oval,  along  the  line  of  which  the  men  posted  themselves. 
Inside  the  oval  eight  more  wagons  were  drawn  up  for  the 
purpose  of  corralling  the  animals,  and  there  was  also  a  pit 
provided  for  sheltering  the  wounded.  Behind  the  pits 
ran  a  path  to  the  nearest  bend  of  Milk  River,  which  was 
used  for  obtaining  water.  The  command  held  its  posi- 
tion until  8.30  o'clock  that  night,  when  the  Indians 
withdrew. 

"  In  the  engajjement  there  were  twelve  soldiers  killed 
and  forty-two  wounded.  Every  officer  in  the  command 
was  shot  with  the  exception  of  Lieutenant  Cherry,  of  the 
Fifth  Cavalry.  The  Indians  killed  from  one  hundred 
and  fifty  to  two  hundred  mules  belonging  to  the  govern- 
ment. Surgeon  Grimes  was  wounded  but  was  able  for 
duty.     The  troops  had  about  six  days'  suj^plies."  ^ 

One  of  the  greatest  chiefs  of  the  Ute  Nation  was  Ouray. 
His  character  was  marked  by  its  keen  perception,  and  ideas 
of  right  and  wrong,  according  to  a  strictly  Christian  code. 
He  was  bold,  and  an  uncompromising  protector  of  the  rights 
of  his  tribe,  and  equally  as  earnest  in  his  endeavours  to  im- 
press upon  the  minds  of  the  Indians  that  the  whites  were 
their  friends.  He  was  renowned  for  his  wisdom  rather 
than  for  his  bravery,  which  is  the  test  of  greatness  among 
savages.  He  was  brave,  too,  but  that  did  not,  in  his  own 
conception,  complete  the  qualities  which  a  leader  should 
possess.  His  tribe  during  the  period  of  his  chieftainship 
had  five  battles  with  the  Arapahoes  and  several  with  the 
Sioux  and  Cheyennes.     It  was  a  bloody  war  between  the 

1  This  aocoiiiit  is  taken  from  files  of  the  Denver  newspapers  published 
at  the  time  of  the  massacre. 


FOLK-LOKE    OF    BLACKFEET  331 

Indians  of  the  plains  and  the  mountains,  between  higb- 
bmders  and  lowhinders,  and  in  these  struggles  Ouray 
became  a  renowned  warrior. 

During  some  of  these  battles  with  the  Arapalioes,  Ouray 
led  as  many  as  seven  hundred  warriors  into  the  field.  At 
one  time  he  had  but  thirty  braves  with  him,  while  the 
enemy  numbered  nearly  eight  hundred.  The  Arapalioes 
came  upon  the  Utes  one  morning  just  about  daylight,  sur- 
prising them  completely.  Ouray  rallied  his  small  force, 
however,  formed  them  into  a  square,  and  after  retreating 
a  short  distance,  fighting  continuously  for  fourteen  hours, 
succeeded  in  repulsing  his  foes. 

The  story  of  his  life  is  an  interesting  one.  He  says 
that  he  was  born  in  Taos  Valley  in  New  Mexico,  near  the 
Pueblo  village  of  that  name,  in  1839.  The  band  to  which 
he  belonged  spent  a  great  deal  of  its  time  in  the  Taos 
Valley,  San  Luis  Park,  and  along  the  base  of  the  Sangre 
de  Cristo  Mountains.  In  that  region  they  were  accus- 
tomed to  meet  the  Apaches,  who  came  from  the  south. 
It  was  a  common  thing  for  a  tribe  of  Indians  to  marry 
out  of  their  own.  Ouray's  father  married  an  Apache 
woman,  hence  the  epithet  so  often  sneeringly  applied  to 
the  chief,  by  those  who  did  not  like  him,  of  "  He's  an 
Apache  pappoose." 

His  band  became  so  accustomed  to  association  with  the 
Mexicans  that  some  of  them  began  to  adopt  the  customs 
of  that  people,  and  when  Ouray's  father  and  mother 
decided  to  wed,  they  were  married  in  the  little  adobe 
church  on  a  hill  in  the  village  at  the  Red  River  Crossing. 
A  priest  performed  the  ceremony  according  to  the  Catholic 
ritual.  When  Ouray  was  born,  he  was  taken  to  the  same 
building  and  baptized  into  the  Catholic  faith.  ^ 

1  Ouray  did  not  profess  the  Catholic  religion,  despite  his  early  train- 
ing. He  believed  in  the  Ute  god,  and  in  a  happy  hunting-ground,  and 
also  in  a  bad  place,  where  wicked  people  cannot  meet  their  friends. 


332  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Ouray  was  not  head  chief  at  first  ;  but  his  influence 
increased  so  fast  with  the  other  bands  of  the  tribe,  that, 
ill  the  year  of  President  Lincohi's  death,  he  was  declared 
head  chief  of  the  whole  Ute  Nation. 

Ouray  resided  in  a  neatly  built  adobe  house  erected  for 
him  by  the  government ;  it  was  nicely  carpeted  and  fur- 
nished in  modern  style.  He  owned  a  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred acres,  a  real  garden  spot.  Of  these  he  cultivated  a 
hundred,  owned  a  large  number  of  horses,  cattle,  and 
sheep,  and  rode  in  a  carriage  presented  to  him  by  Gov- 
ernor jNIcCook  of  Colorado.  He  hired  labourers  from 
among  the  Mexicans  and  Indians.  He  was  very  much 
attached  to  the  Avhite  man's  manner  of  living,  and  received 
from  the  government  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  annuity. 
From  first  to  last,  Ouray  had  been  friendly  to  the  whites, 
and  always  an  advocate  of  peace.  The  moment  he  heard 
of  the  attack  on  Thornburgh's  command,  he  sent  runners 
to  the  spot  and  ordered  the  Indians  to  cease  at  once  ;  so 
powerful  was  he  that  hostilities  ended  immediately. 

The  Pi-Utes  have  a  rather  poetical  conceit  in  account- 
ing for  the  movements  of  the  celestial  bodies.  Their 
theory  is  that  the  sun  rules  the  heavens.  He  is  a  big 
chief ;  the  moon  is  his  squaw,  and  the  stars  are  his  chil- 
dren. The  sun  devours  his  children  whenever  he  is  able 
to  catch  them.  They  are  constantly  afraid  of  him  as  he 
is  passing  through  the  sky.  He  gets  up  very  early  in  the 
morning  ;  his  children,  the  stars,  fly  out  of  sight,  and  go 
away  into  the  blue  ;  and  they  are  not  seen  again  until  he 
goes  to  bed,  which  is  deep  down  under  the  ground,  in  a 
great  hole.  Wlien  he  goes  to  his  hole,  he  creeps  and 
crawls,  and  sleeps  there  all  niglit.  The  hole  is  so  little 
that  he  cannot  turn  around  in  it,  so  he  is  obliged,  when 
he  has  had  all  the  sleep  he  requires,  to  pass  on  through, 
and  in  the  morning  he  is  seen  in  the  east  again.  When 
he  comes  out  of  his  hole,  he  begins  to  hunt  through  the 


FOLK-LORE   OF    BLACKFEET  333 

sky  to  catch  and  eat  any  of  the  stars  he  can  find.  All  of 
the  sun  is  not  seen ;  his  shape  is  like  a  snake  or  lizard. 
It  is  not  his  head  that  is  seen,  but  his  stomach,  which  is 
stuffed  with  stars  he  has  devoured.  His  wife,  the  moon, 
goes  into  the  same  hole  as  her  husband,  to  sleep  also. 
She  has  great  fear  of  him,  and  when  he  comes  into  the 
hole  to  sleep,  she  does  not  remain  there  long,  if  he  be 
cross. 

The  moon  has  great  love  for  her  children,  the  stars, 
and  is  ever  happy  to  be  travelling  up  where  they  are. 
Her  children  feel  perfectly  safe,  and  smile  as  she  passes 
along.  But  she  cannot  help  one  of  them  being  devoured 
every  month.  It  is  ordered  by  Pah-ah,  the  Great  Spirit, 
who  dwells  above  all,  that  the  sun  must  swallow  one  of 
his  children  each  month.  Then  the  mother-moon  feels 
very  sorry,  and  she  must  mourn.  She  paints  her  face 
black,  for  her  child  is  gone.  But  the  dark  will  soon  wear 
away  from  her  face  a  little  by  little,  night  after  night,  and 
after  a  time  her  face  becomes  all  bright  again.  Soon  the 
sun  swallows  another  child,  and  the  moon  puts  on  her 
black  paint  again. 

They  account  for  the  appearance  of  a  comet  by  stating 
that  the  sun  often  snaps  at  one  of  the  stars,  his  children, 
and  does  not  get  a  good  hold  of  it,  he  only  tears  a  piece 
out ;  and  the  star,  getting  wild  with  pain,  goes  flying  across 
the  sky  with  a  great  spout  of  blood  flowing  from  it.  It 
is  then  very  much  afraid,  and  as  it  flies  it  always  keeps 
its  head  turned  to  watch  the  sun,  its  father,  and  never 
turns  its  face  away  from  him  until  it  is  far  out  of  his 
reach. 

A  few  years  ago,  the  Utes  sold  their  lands  to  the 
United  States  government,  and  the  various  bands  were 
removed  to  a  reservation. 

Among  the  many  legends  of  the  Utes,  that  accounting 
for  the  origin  of   the  hot  springs  at   the  mouth  of   the 


334  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

caiion  of  tlie  Rio  las  Gallinas  (near  Las  Vegas,  N.M.) 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable.  It  was  related  to  one  of 
the  authors  of  this  volume  thirty-two  years  ago,  by  an 
aged  warrior,  while  the  j)arty  of  Indians  and  white  men 
who  had  been  hunting  for  black-tail  deer  in  the  moun- 
tains were  sitting  around  their  camp-fire  at  night. 

The  wrinkled  and  paint-bedaubed  savage  veteran  filled 
his  pipe,  lighted  it,  then  taking  a  whiff  after  saluting 
the  sky,  the  earth,  and  the  cardinal  points  of  the  com- 
pass, passed  it  around,  Indian-fashion,  and  began  his 
weird  story;  which  is  here  given,  divested  of  the  poor 
English  of  our  interpreter  :  — 

"•  Thousands  of  snows  have  passed,  thousands  of  Indian 
summers  made  their  delightful  round,  since  the  Medicine 
Waters  were  formed  there  by  the  Great  Spirit  to  prove 
that  the  people  of  the  powerful  Ute  Nation  were  his 
special  care.  Warriors,  too,  who  were  wounded  in  battle 
with  their  hereditary  enemies,  the  Pawnees  of  the  plains, 
—  if  they  were  brave  and  had  pleased  the  Great  Spirit,  — 
had  only  to  repair  to  the  hot  waters  flowing  out  of  the 
mountain  side,  bathe  three  times  a  day  in  their  healing 
flood,  and  drink  of  the  coldest  that  sprang  from  the  same 
rocky  ledge.  Then,  in  the  course  of  a  few  suns,  no  matter 
how  badly  injured,  they  would  certainly  recover  and 
become  stronger  than  ever.  If,  however,  any  who  had 
behaved  cowardly  in  the  heat  of  action,  —  which  to  the 
Great  Spirit  is  a  great  abomination,  never  condoned, — • 
and  went  to  the  Big  Medicine  to  heal  his  wounds,  the 
water  had  no  effect  and  he  soon  died.  So  these  Medicine 
Waters  were  not  only  a  panacea  for  all  diseases,  and  in- 
juries received  in  honourable  warfare,  but  an  infallible 
test  of  the  courage  of  every  wounded  warrior  engaged 
in  frequent  sanguinary  conflicts." 

That  the  action  of  Las  Vegas  Hot  Springs  was  be- 
lieved to  be  a  direct  manifestation  of  the  power  of  the 


rOLK-LOKE   OF   BLACKFEET  335 

Great  Spirit,  the  legend  further  confirms,  for  after  his 
preliminary  observations  of  their  efficacy  and  purpose,  the 
old  warrior  continued :  "  The  Utes  were  the  first  people 
created.  They  had  thousands  of  ponies.  The  mountains 
were  filled  with  deer,  bear,  bighorn,  and  elk,  while  the 
plains  beloAv  were  black  with  herds  of  buffalo.  They 
were  very  wealthy.  Many  hundreds  of  years  they  re- 
mained the  happiest  race  on  earth,  always  victorious  in 
battle,  and  never  suffering  for  food.  Their  head  chief  at 
this  time  was  We-lo-lon-nan-nai  (the  forked  lightning), 
the  bravest  warrior  of  all  the  tribes.  His  people  loved 
him  for  his  good  qualities,  and  the  justice  with  which  he 
administered  the  affairs  of  the  nation.  One  morning  he 
was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  called  into  his  lodge  the 
celebrated  medicine-men  of  his  band  to  prescribe  for 
him ;  but  these  famous  doctors,  after  exhausting  all  their 
art  and  cunning,  were  obliged  to  declare  there  was  no 
hope  for  their  chief ;  he  would  soon  be  gathered  to  his 
fathers  unless  the  Great  Spirit,  in  his  love  for  his  chosen 
people,  would  interfere.  To  enlist  his  offices  in  behalf  of 
their  cherished  d3ang  leader,  the  oldest  medicine-man,  by 
virtue  of  seniority,  ordered  a  sacrifice  to  be  made  as  an 
offering  of  adoration  and  suppliance. 

"  A  large  altar  of  pine  logs  was  erected  near  the  lodge 
of  We-lo-lon-nan-nai,  and  a  buffalo  bull,  freshly  captured 
for  the  purpose,  driven  to  the  spot,  killed,  and  his  hide 
taken  off.  The  entire  carcass  was  lifted  with  much  ritual- 
istic observance  upon  the  altar,  and  then  the  whole  tribe, 
in  obedience  to  the  order  of  the  head  medicine-man,  pros- 
trated themselves  on  the  ground.  Touching  a  torch  to 
the  pile,  and  wrapping  himself  in  the  bloody  skin  of  the 
animal,  the  medicine-man  took  a  position  about  a  hundred 
yards  from  the  altar  in  an  attitude  of  supplication,  to  com- 
mune with  the  Great  Spirit. 

"Absolute  silence  reigned  ;  not  a  sound  broke  the  aw- 


336  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

ful  solemnity  of  the  occasion,  excepting  the  crackling  of 
the  fragrant  pine  limbs  used  as  fuel,  and  the  seething  of 
the  flesh  as  it  melted  under  the  heat. 

"  When  the  altar  and  all  its  appliances  had  been  burnt 
to  ashes,  the  medicine-man  gave  the  signal  for  the  people 
to  rise,  and  tiien  announced  the  communication  he  had 
received  from  the  Great  Spirit. 

"  "  We-lo-lon-nan-nai  will  not  die  ;  he  shall  live  long 
enougli  to  rule  over  the  Ute  Nation ;  but  he  is  very  sick. 
He  must  be  carried  to  a  spot  which  will  be  designated  by 
the  Great  Spirit,  where  he  will  cause  a  Big  Medicine  to 
appear  out  of  the  ground.  It  will  not  only  cure  the  chief 
of  the  Utes  this  time,  but  it  is  for  the  sick  and  Avounded 
of  the  nations  for  all  time  to  come.  To-morrow,  at  sun- 
rise, We-lo-lon-nan-nai  must  be  escorted  by  a  hundred 
warriors  to  where  the  Big  ^Medicine  is  to  appear,  guided 
by  the  flight  of  an  arrow  to  be  shot  from  the  bow  of  the 
youngest  medicine-man  in  the  tribe  as  often  as  the  end  of 
its  flight  is  reached.  Day  after  day  shall  he  shoot,  until 
the  arrow  stands  up  in  the  earth,  where  is  the  j^lace  the 
Big  Medicine  is  to  be  found,  when  We-lo-lon-nan-nai 
smokes  the  red-stone  peace-pipe  of  the  tribe.' 

"  Arriving  at  the  great  caiion,  where  the  arrow  stood 
upright  in  the  earth,  and  where  only  a  cold  stream  of 
water  flowed  through  its  bottom,  We-lo-lon-nan-nai  sat 
himself  down  under  the  rocky  ledge  at  the  entrance  to 
the  mighty  gap  in  the  range,  and,  lighting  his  pipe, 
directed  the  smoke  of  the  frasfrant  kin-nik-i-nik  toward 
the  heavens.  Suddenly  there  was  a  terrible  convulsion 
of  the  earth,  and  immediately  there  burst  forth  fountains 
of  hot  water  and  mud  mounds,  where  before  there  was 
not  the  sign  of  a  spring. 

"  Astonished  at  this  manifestation,  We-lo-lon-nan-nai 
offered  up  a  silent  prayer,  and,  divesting  himself  of  his 
robe,  told  his  followers  to  bury  him  in  the  hot  mud  up  to 


FOLK-LORE    OF    BLACKFEET  337 

his  head.  They  complied  with  his  orders,  and  he  remained 
m  the  excavation,  which  was  made  large  enough  to  re- 
ceive his  entire  body,  for  a  whole  day  ;  and  when  taken 
out  at  night  all  his  pains  were  gone,  and  he  seemed  to 
his  warriors  to  have  recovered  his  3^outh.  jNIany  of  them 
who  were  suffering  with  different  ailments  then  tried  the 
efficacy  of  the  hot  water  and  the  mud,  and  were  from  that 
instant  cured. 

'"'  The  report  of  the  miraculous  healing  of  the  Ute  chief 
soon  s|)read  among  the  neighbouring  tribes,  and  the  sick 
from  evervwhere  came  flocking  to  the  Bioc  jNIedicine 
Springs,  Avhicli  they  continued  to  use  until  the  white 
man  took  possession  of  the  country,  and  the  Indians  have 
ever  since  been  lessening  gradually  in  number,  until  there 
are  now  but  few  left,  because  deprived  of  their  Big 
Medicine. 

"  We-lo-lon-nan-nai  ruled  over  the  Utes  for  many  years 
after  his  restoration  to  health  ;  in  fact,  never  died,  but 
was  carried  on  the  wings  of  an  immense  bird,  which  was 
supposed  by  the  wandering  warriors  to  be  a  messenger  of 
the  Great  Spirit,  right  to  the  abode  of  the  blessed.  His 
name  is  revered  to  this  day,  and  the  young  men  are  en- 
couraged to  emulate  his  virtues,  the  story  of  which  has 
come  down  through  untold  seons."^ 

1  There  is  more  in  this  legend  of  a  pi'imitive,  superstitious  people,  from 
an  ethnological  view  of  its  details,  than  would  be  suspected  at  first.  The 
story  of  the  sacrifice  and  the  medicine-man  wrapping  himself  in  the 
bloody  hide  of  the  buffalo,  the  use  of  the  pine  as  fuel,  and  the  prostration 
of  the  multitude,  while  communion  is  held  with  the  Great  Spirit,  is  the 
same  ceremony  that  was  observed  by  the  Druids,  and  religious  peoples 
before  them.  This  peculiar  offering  of  blood  was  common  to  the  Indian 
who  in  the  early  years  of  the  century  occupied  a  portion  of  the  territory 
east  of  the  Mississippi.  It  will  be  remembered  by  the  student  of  Ameri- 
can history  that  when  the  war  of  1812-1815  was  pending,  the  celebrated 
Tecumseh  and  his  brother,  the  Shawnee  Prophet,  called  the  tribes  together, 
in  order  to  induce  them  to  side  with  the  English.  At  that  famous  council 
they  sacrificed  a  spotless  red  heifer  on  a  high  altar,  and  the  medicine-man 
z 


388  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TKAIL 

To  the  uninitiated  reader,  it  may,  perhaps,  be  interest- 
ing to  know  the  meaning  of  the  somewhat  strange  Indian 
cognomens. 

The  majority  of  savages  receive  their  names  from  some 
peculiarity  of  person,  costume,  or  from  bodily  deformity. 
JBa-oo-kish,  or  Closed  Hand,  a  noted  Crow  chief,  was  thus 
named  from  the  fact  that  when  young  his  hand  was  so 
badly  burned  as  to  cause  his  fingers  to  close  within  the 
l^alm,  and  grow  fast.  White  Forehead,  because  he  always 
wore  a  white  band  around  his  head  to  conceal  the  scar  of 
a  wound  which  had  been  inflicted  by  a  squaw.  Mock-pe- 
lu-tah.  Red  Cloud  or  Bloody  Hand,  one  of  the  most  terri- 
ble warriors  of  the  Sioux  Nation,  derived  his  name  from 
his  deeds  of  blood,  and  the  red  blankets  which  his  braves 
invariably  wore.  They  "  never  moved  on  their  enemies 
without  appearing  as  a  cloud,  so  great  were  their  num- 
bers. Sweeping  down  Avith  his  hosts  on  the  border,  he 
covered  the  hills  like  a  red  cloud  in  the  heavens,  and 
never  returiied  to  his  village  until  he  had  almost  exter- 
minated the  tribe  or  settlement  against  which  his  wrath 
was  directed."  Ta-shunk-ah-ko-ke-j^ah-pe,  Man  afraid  of 
his  Horses,  obtained  his  name  from  having  cajitured  a  great 

wrapped  the  bloody  skin  around  him,  while  all  the  savages  present  pros- 
trated themselves  and  communed  with  the  Great  Spirit  to  know  what  to 
do.  The  result  was  that  Tecumseh's  plans  were  defeated,  for  the  Indians 
were  told  by  the  Great  Spirit  to  side  with  the  Americans. 

In  the  eleventh  Book  of  the  ^neid,  Virgil  relates  the  same  observance 
on  Mount  Soracte,  where  there  was  a  temple  dedicated  to  Apollo,  and  a 
sacrifice  made  annually  to  the  god,  who  represented  the  sun.  Arruns  in 
his  prayer  says  :  — 

"  Apollo,  thou  of  gods 
The  mightiest,  who  in  guard  the  sacred  mount 
Soracte  boldest,  and  whom  first  of  all 
We  worship,  unto  whom  are  heaped  the  fires 
The  piney  branches  make,  and  whom  adore 
Thy  votaries,  as  we  walk,  by  pious  zeal 
Sustained,  on  burning  coals." 


FOLK-LORE  OF  BLACKFEET  339 

many  horses  at  one  time,  which  he  was  constantly  afraid 
he  would  lose.  Once,  when  the  Shoshones  attacked  his 
camp,  he  left  his  family  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  to  run 
off  his  horses.  No  Knife,  a  noted  man  of  the  Omahas, 
was  named  from  an  incident  that  occurred  at  the  time  of 
his  birth.  He  was  born  on  the  march,  and  was  ever  after 
known  by  his  singular  appellation.  Ta-ton-ka-ig-oton-ka, 
Sitting  Bull,  the  most  vindictive  and  determined  enemy 
the  whites  ever  had,  was  so  named  because  once,  after  hav- 
ing shot  a  buffalo,  he  leaped  from  his  horse  astride  of  the 
animal  to  skin  it,  when  with  the  Indian  upon  him  the 
wounded  bull  sat  up  on  his  haunches.  The  celebrated 
Sioux  chief,  Sin-ta-gal-las-ca,  Spotted  Tail,  when  young 
always  wore  a  coon  tail  in  his  hair,  hence  his  name.  Con- 
nected with  the  history  of  this  famous  warrior,  there  is  a 
pathetic  episode,  which  shows  the  better  side  of  Indian 
character. 

Spotted  Tail  had  a  daughter,  who  was  very  beautiful 
according  to  the  savage  idea.  She  fell  in  love  with  an 
army  officer  stationed  at  Fort  Laramie.  He  did  not  re- 
ciprocate her  passion,  and  plainly  told  the  dusky  maiden 
he  could  never  marry  her.  The  poor  girl  visited  the  fort 
every  day,  and  would  sit  for  hours  on  the  porch  on  her 
beloved's  quarters  until  he  came  out,  and  then  she  would 
quietly  follow  him  about  with  the  fidelity  of  a  dog.  She 
seemed  to  ask  no  greater  pleasure  than  to  look  at  him,  be 
near  him,  and  Avas  ever  miserable  when  out  of  his  sight. 

Spotted  Tail,  who  was  cognizant  of  his  daughter's  af- 
fection for  the  young  army  officer,  remonstrated  with  her 
in  vain,  and  when  he  found  he  could  not  conquer  her 
foolish  passion,  sent  her  away  to  a  remote  band  of  his 
tribe.  She  obediently  went  without  murmuring,  but,  ar- 
rived at  her  destination,  she  refused  food,  and  actually 
pined  away  until  she  became  a  mere  skeleton.  Spotted 
Tail  was  sent  for,  to  see  her  die.     He  hastened  to  her  bed 


340 


THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


of  robes  and  found  her  almost  gone.  With  the  little 
strengtli  she  had  left,  she  told  her  father  of  her  great  love 
for  the  whites,  and  made  him  promise  that  he  would 
ever  after  her  death  live  at  peace  Avith  them.  Then 
she  appeared  to  be  very  haj^py,  and  closing  her  eyes  said, 
"  TJiis  is  my  last  request,  bury  me  at  Fort  Laramie,"  then 
died.  The  old  chief  carried  her  body  to  the  fort,  and  in- 
terred it  with  the  whites,  where  she  wished  to  live. 

The  grave  of  the  unfortunate  maiden  had  been  care- 
fully marked,  and  as  long  as  the  fort  was  garrisoned  it 
continued  to  be  an  object  of  great  interest. 

Spotted  Tail,  after  the  death  of  his  daughter,  never 
spoke  in  council  with  the  whites  without  referring  to  her 
request,  and  declared  it  to  be  his  wish  to  live  at  peace 
with  the  people  she  loved  so  well. 


■  0'/d//o/?i  3/u/fj 
Iro/n  /jcdr  ffie  ^r/a  (//^e  Pidffc, 


CHAPTER   XV 

SIOUX    WAR    OP     1863 SPOTTED      TAIL GEORGE    P.     BELDEn's 

ACCOUNT SERGEANTS     HILES      AND      ROLLA BELDEN     AND 

NELSON  HAVE  AN  ADVENTURE BELDEN  MAPS  THE  COUN- 
TRY   GUARDING  BEN  HOLLIDAy's  COACHES AN  INVOL- 
UNTARY    HIGHWAYMAN CAPTURING     SIOUX      AT     GILMAn's 

RANCH morrow's     RANCH BENTZ     AND     WISE ATTACK 

ON    THE     AMBULANCE PEACE     COMMISSION  —  MASSACRE    OF 

COLONEL     FETTERMAN's     COMMAND     AT     FORT     PHIL     KEARNV 


Jpolfcd  Tdil 


N  1863,  the  Indians  of 
the  Valley  under  the 
leadership  of  the 
celebrated  Sioux 
war-chief,  Spotted 
Tail,  broke  out,  and 
the  government  de- 
termined to  chastise 
them.  An  expedition 
was  organized,  Avhich 
was  to  rendezvous  at 
North  Platte,  consisting 
of  the  First  Nebraska  Cav- 
aliy,  Twelfth  Missouri  Cav- 
alry, a  detachment  of  the  Second 
United  States  and  Seventh  Iowa  Cavalry,  Colonel  Brown, 
the  senior  officer,  commanding  the  whole. 

Some  of  the  operations  of  this  expedition  and  personal 
adventures  have  been  told  by  George  P.  Belden,  then 
belonging   to  the    First  Nebraska   Cavalry.^     He  was   a 

1  The  Wliite  Chief,  by  George  P.  Belden.  Edited  by  General  James 
S.  Brisbin.    Published  by  C.  F.  Vent ;  Cincinnati.  1872. 

311 


342  THE   GKEAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

famous  trapper,  scout,  and  guide,  and  was  known  as 
"  The  White  Chief."  He  afterward  became  an  officer 
in  the  reguhir   army.     His   account  runs  as  follows:  — 

"  The  snow  was  quite  deep  on  the  plains,  and  knowing 
that  the  hostile  Indians,  who  were  then  encamped  on  the 
Republican  River,  were  encumbered  by  their  villages, 
Avomen,  and  children,  it  was  thought  to  be  a  favourable 
time  to  strike  them  a  severe  blow.  There  were  many 
Indians  in  our  command,  among  others  a  large  body 
of  Pawnee  scouts.  Early  in  January  the  expedition 
left  the  Platte  River,  and  marched  southward  toward 
the  Republican.  When  we  reached  the  river  a  depot  of 
supplies  was  established  and  named  Camp  Wheaton,  after 
the  general  then  commanding  the  Department  of  the 
Platte.  This  done,  the  scouting  began,  and  we  were  ready 
for  war.  Nor  were  we  long  kept  waiting,  for  Lieutenant 
James  Murie,  who  marched  out  to  Short  Nose  Creek  with 
a  party  of  scouts,  was  suddenly  attacked  by  a  large  body 
of  Sioux,  and  six  of  his  men  wounded.  Colonel  Brown 
considered  this  an  unfortunate  affair,  inasmuch  as  the 
Indians,  liaving  learned  by  it  the  presence  of  troops  in 
their  country,  would  be  on  the  alert,  and,  in  all  probabil- 
ity, at  once  clear  out  with  their  villages.  He  determined, 
if  it  were  possible,  still  to  surprise  them,  and  ordered  the 
command  immediately  into  the  saddle.  We  pushed  hard 
for  Solomon's  Fork,  a  great  resort  for  the  savages,  but 
arrived  only  in  time  to  find  their  camps  deserted  and 
the  Indians  all  gone. 

"  One  evening,  as  we  were  encamped  on  the  banks  of 
the  Solomon,  a  huge  buffalo  bull  suddenl}^  appeared  on 
the  bluff  overlooking  the  camp,  and  gazed  in  wonder  at 
a  sight  so  unusual  to  his  eyes.  In  a  moment  a  dozen  guns 
were  ready  to  fire,  but  as  the  beast  came  down  the  narrow 
ravine  washed  by  the  rains  in  the  bluff,  all  waited  until 
he  should  emerge  on  the  open  plain  near  tlie  river.     Then 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  343 

a  lively  skirmish  was  opened  on  him,  and  he  turned  and 
quickly  disappeared  again  in  the  brush.  Several  of  the 
soldiers  ran  up  one  of  the  narrow  water-courses,  hoping 
to  get  a  shot  at  him  as  he  emerged  on  the  open  prairie. 
What  was  their  surprise  to  meet  him  coming  down.  He 
ran  up  one  ravine,  and  being  half  crazed  by  his  wounds, 
had,  on  reaching  the  prairie,  turned  into  the  one  in  which 
the  soldiers  were.  As  soon  as  he  saw  him,  the  soldier  in 
front  called  out  to  those  behind  him  to  run,  but  they,  not 
understanding  the  nature  of  the  danger,  continued  to 
block  up  the  passage.  The  bull  could  barely  force  his 
great  body  between  the  high  and  narrow  banks  ;  but 
before  all  the  soldiers  could  get  out  of  the  ravine  he  was 
upon  them,  and  trampled  two  of  them  under  his  feet,  not 
hurting  them  much,  but  frightening  them  terribly.  As 
the  beast  came  out  again  on  the  open  bank  of  the  river  a 
score  of  soldiers,  who  had  run  over  from  their  camp  with 
their  guns,  gave  him  a  dozen  balls.  Still  he  did  not  fall, 
but,  dashing  through  the  brusli,  entered  the  cavalry  camp, 
and  running  up  to  a  large  gray  horse  that  was  tied  to  a 
tree,  lifted  the  poor  brute  on  his  horns  and  threw  him 
into  the  air.  The  horse  was  completely  disembowelled, 
and  dropped  dowji  dead.  The  buffalo  next  plunged  his 
horns  into  a  fine  bay  horse,  the  property  of  an  officer  in 
the  Seventh  Iowa  Cavalry,  and  the  poor  fellow  groaned 
with  pain  until  the  hills  resounded.  Exhausted  by  his 
exertions  and  wounds,  the  bull  laid  down  carefully  by  the 
side  of  the  horse,  as  if  afraid  of  hurting  himself,  and  in  a 
moment  rolled  over  dead.  We  skinned  and  dressed  him, 
and  carried  the  meat  into  camp  for  our  suppers ;  but  it 
was  dearly  bought  beef,  at  the  expense  of  the  lives  of  two 
noble  horses  ;  and  Colonel  Brown  notified  us  he  wished 
no  further  contracts  closed  on  such  expensive  terms. 

"  While  we  lay  encamped  at  the  depot  of  supplies,  on 
the    Republican,    Colonel    Brown    called    for    volunteer 


344  THE   GREAT  SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

scouts,  stating  that  be  would  give  a  purse  of  five  hundred 
doUars  to  any  one  who  would  discover  a  village  of 
Indians  and  lead  the  command  to  the  spot.  This  glit- 
tering prize  dazzled  the  eyes  of  many  a  soldier,  but  few 
had  the  courage  to  undertake  so  hazardous  an  enterprise. 
Sergeant  Hiles,  of  the  First  Nebraska,  and  Sergeant  Rolla, 
of  the  Seventh  Iowa,  came  forward  and  said  they  would 
go  upon  the  expedition  provided  they  could  go  alone. 
Both  were  shrewd,  sharp  men,  and  Colonel  Brown  read- 
ily gave  his  consent,  well  knowing  that  in  scouting,  where 
the  object  is  not  to  fight,  but  to  gain  information  and 
keep  concealed,  the  fewer  men  in  the  party  the  better 
their  chances  of  escape. 

"  On  the  day  after  Hiles  and  Rolla  had  left  camp,  Nel- 
son, who  had  come  down  and  joined  the  army  as  a  guide, 
proposed  to  me  that  we  should  go  out  and  hunt  an  advent- 
ure. My  old  love  of  Indian  life  was  upon  me,  and  I 
joyfully  accepted  his  proposition.  I  applied  to  Colonel 
Brown  for  permission  to  set  out  at  once,  but  he  declined 
to  grant  my  request,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  not  neces- 
sary or  proper  for  an  officer  to  engage  in  such  an  enter- 
prise. I,  however,  coaxed  the  colonel  a  little,  and  he 
finally  told  me  I  might  go. 

"  Packing  several  days'  supplies  on  a  mule,  as  soon  as  it 
was  dark  Nelson  and  I  started,  he  leading  the  mule,  and  I 
driving  him  from  behind.  We  travelled  over  to  the  Little 
Beaver,  then  up  the  stream  for  some  distance,  when  we 
Crossed  over  and  camped  on  Little  Beaver.  Here  we 
expected  to  find  Indian  signs,  but  were  disappointed. 
We  rested  for  a  short  time,  and  then  travelled  down  the 
Beaver  until  opposite  Short  Nose  Creek,  when  we  crossed 
the  divide  and  camped  on  that  stream.  Two  days  later 
we  pushed  on  to  Cedar  Creek,  and  then  crossed  over  to 
Prairie  Dog  Creek.  We  had  travelled  only  at  night,  hid- 
ing away  all  day  in  the  brush  that  lined  the  creeks,  and 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  345 

keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  Indians.  So  far,  we  had  seen 
no  Indian  signs,  and  began  to  despair  of  finding  any,  when 
one  morning,  just  as  we  were  preparing  for  breakfast,  I 
heard  several  shots  fired,  apparently  four  or  five  miles  up 
the  creek.  Nelson  ran  out  on  the  bluff,  and,  applying  his 
ear  to  the  ground,  said  he  could  distinctly  hear  the  reports 
of  many  rifles.  We  could  not  imagine  what  this  meant, 
and  withdrew  into  the  bluffs  '  to  make  it  out,'  as  the  old 
trappers  say. 

"Nelson  was  the  first  speaker,  and  he  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  Colonel  Brown,  who  had  told  us  before  leav- 
ing camp  he  would  soon  start  for  the  Solomon,  had  set 
out  earlier  than  he  expected,  and  was  now  crossing  above 
us.  I  set  my  compass,  and,  finding  we  were  nearly  on 
the  line  where  Brown  would  cross,  readily  fell  in  with 
Nelson's  reasoning.  So  sure  was  I  that  the  guns  we  had 
heard  Avere  Colonel  Brown's  soldiers  out  hunting  that  I 
proposed  we  should  saddle  up  and  go  to  them.  This 
move  came  near  proving  fatal  to  us,  as  Avill  presently 
appear.  We  rode  boldly  up  the  stream,  in  broad  day- 
light, some  five  miles,  when,  not  finding  any  trail,  I  began 
to  express  my  surprise  at  the  long  distance  we  had  heard 
the  reports  of  the  guns,  but  Nelson  told  me  it  was  no 
uncommon  thing,  when  snow  Avas  on  the  ground,  to  hear 
a  rifle-shot  ten  to  twenty  miles  along  a  creek  bottom,  and, 
incredible  as  this  may  seem,  I  found  out  afterward  it  Avas 
nevertheless  true. 

"  We  rode  on  about  five  miles  farther,  when  suddenly 
Nelson  halted,  and,  pointing  to  an  object  a  long  distance 
ahead,  said  he  belie\'ed  it  Avas  a  horseman.  We  lost  no 
time  in  getting  into  the  bluffs,  where  we  could  observe 
what  went  on  Avithout  being  seen,  and  soon  saw  an  ani- 
mal coming  down  the  creek  bottom.  As  it  drcAV  near, 
we  discoA^ered  it  to  be  a  horse,  evidently  much  frightened, 
and  flying  from  pursuers.     The  horse  galloped  past,  but 


346  THE   GRKAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

stopped  half  a  mile  below  us  and  quietly  went  to  grazing, 
every  now  and  then  raising  his  head  and  looking  up  the 
creek,  as  if  he  expected  to  see  some  enemy  following  him. 
We  lay  for  several  hours  momentarily  exj)ecting  to  see  a 
body  of  Indians  coming  down  the  creek,  but  none  came, 
and  at  noon  Nelson  said  I  should  watch,  and  he  would 
crawl  down  the  creek  and  see  if  he  could  discover  any- 
thing from  the  horse.  I  saw  Nelson  approach  quite  near 
the  animal,  and  heard  him  calling  it,  when,  to  my  sur- 
prise, it  came  up  to  him  and  followed  him  into  the  bluffs. 
The  horse  was  the  one  Sergeant  Hiles  liad  ridden  from 
the  camp  a  few  days  previous,  and  was  well  known  to 
Nelson  and  me  as  a  superb  animal,  named  Selim. 

"  It  did  not  take  us  long  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
Hiles  and  Rolla  had  been  attacked,  and  that  the  firing  we 
had  heard  in  the  morning  was  done  by  the  Indians.  From 
the  fact  that  Hiles'  horse  had  no  saddle  on  when  found, 
we  concluded  he  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians, 
and  had  probably  broken  away  from  them,  and  we  doubted 
not  that  at  least  Hiles  was  dead. 

"  Fearing  the  savages  would  come  down  upon  us  next, 
we  lost  no  time  in  getting  down  the  creek.  We  soon 
passed  where  we  had  encamped  the  night  before,  and, 
finding  the  fire  still  burning,  put  it  out,  and,  covering  up 
the  ashes,  pushed  on  for  several  miles  and  camped  among 
the  bluffs.  Nelson  carried  up  several  logs  from  the  creek, 
with  which  to  make  a  barricade  in  case  of  attack,  and. 
Nelson  taking  first  watch,  I  lay  down  to  sleej),  without 
fire  or  supper,  except  a  piece  of  raw  pork. 

"  At  nine  o'clock  I  arose  to  watch,  and  soon  after  mid- 
night, the  moon  coming  up  bright  and  clear,  I  awoke  Nel- 
son, and  suggested  to  him  we  should  saddle  up  and  cross 
over  to  Cedar  Creek,  for  1  had  a  strong  presentiment  that 
some  misfortune  would  befall  us  if  we  remained  longer 
where  we  were.     It  is  not  a  little  singular,  but  true,  that 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   18G3  347 

man  has  a  wonderful  instinct,  and  can  nearly  always 
divine  coming  trouble  or  danger.  This  instinct  in  the 
frontiersman,  of  course,  is  wonderfully  developed  by  the 
perilous  life  he  leads  ;  but,  call  it  presentiment  or  what 
you  will,  this  instinct  exists  in  every  beast  of  the  field,  as 
well  as  in  the  human  breast,  and  he  who  follows  it  can 
have  no  safer  guide.  Several  times  have  I  saved  my  life 
by  obeying  the  dictates  of  that  silent  monitor  within, 
which  told  me  to  go,  and  yet  gave  me  no  reason  for  my 
going. 

"  We  had  not  ridden  far  when  we  came  upon  a  heavy 
Indian  trail,  and  found  it  not  more  than  four  or  five  hours 
old.  The  tracks  showed  some  fifty  ponies,  and  all  going 
in  the  direction  of  the  Republican.  AVe  were  now  con- 
vinced that  Rolla  had  escaped  and  the  Indians  were  pur- 
suing him.  Following  on  the  trail  for  some  distance,  until 
we  came  to  a  bare  spot  on  the  bluff  where  our  horses 
would  leave  no  tracks  in  the  snow,  we  turned  to  the  left, 
and,  whipping  up  the  ponies,  struck  out  for  a  forced 
march.  We  knew  the  Indians  might  return  at  any-mo- 
ment,  and  if  they  should  find  our  trail  they  would  follow 
us  like  blood-hounds. 

"  All  night  long  we  pushed  on,  halting  only  at  sunrise 
to  eat  a  bite  and  give  our  poor  ponies  a  few  mouthf uls  of 
grass.  Again  we  were  off,  and  throughout  the  day 
whipped  and  spurred  along  our  animals  as  rapidly  as 
possible.  At  night  we  halted  for  two  hours  to  rest,  and 
then  mounted  the  saddle  once  more.  On  the  fifth  day  we 
met  a  company  of  cavalry  that  had  been  sent  out  by  Colo- 
nel Brown  to  look  for  us,  and  with  them  we  returned  to 
camp. 

"  We  learned  from  the  cavalrymen  that  Sergeant  Hiles 
had  been  attacked  by  the  Indians,  and  Sergeant  Rolla  had 
been  killed.  Hiles,  though  he  had  lost  his  horse,  had 
managed  to  work  his  way  back  to  camp  on  foot,  where  he 


348  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

had  arrived  the  morning  tliey  left  camp,  nearly  starved. 
We  had  gone  much  out  of  our  way  to  escape  the  Indians 
who  had  followed  Ililes  ;  but  since  we  had  avoided  them 
and  succeeded  in  saving  our  scalps,  we  did  not  care  a  fig 
for  our  long  and  toilsome  journey. 

"  Sergeant  Hiles  related  to  me  his  adventures  after  leav- 
ing camp,  and  I  will  here  repeat  them  as  a  sequel  to  my 
own.  He  said  :  '  Rolla  and  I  travelled  several  days,  and 
finally  pulled  up  on  Prairie  Dog  Creek.  We  had  seen 
no  Indians,  and  were  becoming  careless,  believing  there 
were  none  in  the  country.  One  morning  just  about  day- 
break I  built  a  fire,  a,nd  while  Rolla  and  I  were  warming 
ourselves  we  were  fired  upon  by  some  forty  Indians. 
Rolla  fell,  pierced  through  the  heart,  and  died  instantly. 
How  I  escaped  I  know  not,  for  the  balls  whistled  all 
around  me,  knocking  up  the  fire,  and  even  piercing  my 
clothing,  yet  I  was  not  so  much  as  scratched. 

" '  I  ran  to  my  horse,  which  was  saddled  and  tied  near 
by,  and  flinging  myself  on  his  back,  dashed  across  the 
prairies.  The  Indians  followed,  whooping  and  yelling 
like  devils,  and  although  their  ponies  ran  well,  they  could 
not  overtake  my  swift-footed  Selim.  I  had  got  well  ahead 
of  them,  and  was  congratulating  myself  on  my  escape  from 
a  terrible  death,  when  suddenly  Selim  fell  headlong  into  a 
ravine  that  was  filled  with  drifted  snow.  It  was  in  vain 
I  tried  to  extricate  him  ;  the  more  he  struggled  the  deeper 
he  sank.  Knowing  the  Indians  would  be  up  in  a  few  min- 
utes, I  cut  the  saddle-girths  with  my  knife,  that  the 
horse  might  be  freer  in  his  movements,  and  then,  bidding 
him  lie  still,  I  took  my  pistols  and  burrowed  into  the 
snow  beside  him.  After  I  had  dug  down  a  little  way,  I 
struck  off  in  the  drift,  and  worked  myself  along  it  toward 
the  valley.  I  had  not  tunnelled  far  before  I  heard  the 
Indians  coming,  and,  pushing  up  my  head,  I  cut  a  small 
hole  in  the  crust  of  the  snow,  so  I  could  peep  out.     As  the 


/ 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  349 

savages  came  up  they  began  to  yell,  and  Selim,  making  a 
great  bound,  leaped  upon  the  solid  earth  at  the  edge  of 
the  ravine,  and,  dragging  himself  out  of  the  drift,  galloped 
furiously  across  the  prairies.  Oh  !  how  I  wished  then  I 
was  on  his  back,  for  I  knew  the  noble  fellow  would  soon 
bear  me  out  of  reach  of  all  danger. 

" '  The  Indians  divided,  part  of  them  going  up  the  ra- 
vine and  crossing  over  to  pursue  Selim,  while  the  rest  dis- 
mounted to  look  for  his  rider.  They  carefully  examined 
the  ground  all  around  to  find  my  trail,  but  not  finding  any, 
they  returned  and  searched  up  and  down  the  ravine  for 
me.  Two  or  three  times  they  punched  in  the  snow  near 
me,  and  once  an  Indian  passed  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
hole.  Great  drops  of  perspiration  stood  on  my  forehead, 
and  every  moment  I  expected  to  be  discovered,  dragged 
out,  and  scalped,  but  I  remained  perfectly  still,  grasping 
my  pistols,  and  determined  to  make  it  cost  the  redskins  at 
least  three  of  their  number. 

"  '  After  a  while  the  Indians  got  tired  searching  for  me, 
and  drew  off  to  consult.  I  saw  the  party  that  had  gone  in 
pursuit  of  Selim  rejoin  their  comj^anions,  and  I  was  not  a 
little  gratified  to  observe  that  they  did  not  bring  back  my 
gallant  steed  with  them,  from  which  I  knew  he  had  made 
his  escape. 

" '  The  Indians  mounted  and  rode  down  the  ravine,  ex- 
amining every  inch  of  ground  for  my  trail.  As  I  saw 
them  move  off,  hope  once  more  revived  in  my  breast;  but 
in  an  hour  they  came  back  and  again  searched  the  drift. 
At  last,  however,  they  went  off  without  finding  me,  and  I 
lay  down  to  rest,  so  exhausted  was  I,  from  watching  and 
excitement,  that  I  could  not  stand.  I  knew  I  did  not 
dare  to  sleep,  for  it  was  very  cold,  and  a  stupor  would 
come  upon  me.  All  that  day  and  night,  and  the  next  day, 
I  lay  in  the  drift,  for  I  knew  the  Indians  were  watch- 
ing it. 


350  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"'On  the  second  night,  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  1  crawled 
out,  and  worked  my  way  to  the  foot  of  the  ravine.  At 
first  I  was  so  stiff  and  numb  I  coukl  hardly  move  hand  or 
foot,  but  as  I  crawled  along,  the  blood  began  to  warm  up, 
and  soon  I  was  able  to  walk.  I  crept  cautiously  along 
the  bluffs  until  I  had  cleared  the  ravine,  and  then,  strik- 
ing out  on  the  open  prairie,  steered  to  the  northward. 
Fortunately,  the  first  day  out  I  shot  an  antelope  and  got 
some  raw  meat,  which  kept  me  from  starving.  In  two 
days  and  a  half  I  reached  the  camp,  nearly  dead  from 
fatigue  and  hunger,  and  was  thoroughly  glad  to  be  at 
home  in  my  tent  once  more,  with  a  whole  scalp  on  my 
head.' 

"  We  had  not  found  an  Indian  village,  and  none  of  us 
got  the  five  hundred  dollars,  but  we  all  had  a  glorious 
adventure,  and  that  to  a  frontiersman  is  better  than 
money. 

"  While  we  lay  in  camp  on  Medicine  Creek,  Colonel 
Brown  sent  for  me,  and  ordered  me  to  look  up  and  map 
the  country.  I  was  detached  as  a  topographical  engineer, 
and  this  order  relieved  me  from  all  company  duty,  and 
enabled  me  to  go  wherever  I  pleased,  which  was  not  a 
little  gratifying  to  one  so  fond  of  rambling  about. 

"  Packing  my  traps  on  my  pony  one  day,  I  set  out  down 
the  Medicine  ahead  of  the  command,  intending  to  hunt 
wild  turkeys  until  near  night,  and  then  rejoin  the  com- 
mand before  it  went  into  camp.  The  creek  bottom  was 
alive  with  turkej^s,  the  cold  weather  having  driven  them 
to  take  shelter  among  the  bushes  that  lined  the  creek.  I 
had  not  gone  far  when  a  dense  fog  arose,  shutting  out  all 
objects,  even  at  the  distance  of  a  few  feet.  It  was  a  bad 
day  for  hunting,  but  presently  as  I  rode  along  I  heard  a 
turkey  gobble  close  by,  and,  dismounting,  I  crept  among 
the  bushes  and  peered  into  the  fog  as  well  as  I  could.  I 
saw   several    dark   objects,    and  drawing  up  my  double- 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1803  351 

barrelled  shot-gun  fired  at  them.  Hardly  had  the  noise 
of  the  explosion  died  away,  when  I  heard  a  great  flopping 
in  the  bushes,  and  on  going  up  to  it  found  a  large  turkey 
making  his  last  kicks.  I  picked  him  up  and  was  about  to 
turn  away,  when  I  saw  another  fine  old  gobbler  desperately 
wounded,  but  trying  to  crawl  off.  I  ran  after  him,  but 
he  hopped  along  so  fast  I  was  obliged  to  give  him  the 
contents  of  my  other  barrel  to  keep  him  from  getting 
away  into  the  thick  brush. 

"  I  had  now  two  fine  turkej'S,  and,  as  the  day  was  bad, 
determined  to  go  no  further,  but  ascend  the  bluffs  and 
wait  for  the  command.  I  went  out  on  the  prairie,  and 
made  a  diligent  search  for  the  old  trail,  but,  as  it  was 
covered  with  some  seven  inches  of  snow,  I  could  not  find 
it.  Knowing  the  command  would  pass  near  the  creek,  I 
went  back  to  hunt,  thinking  I  would  go  up  after  it  had 
passed,  strike  the  trail,  and  follow  it  into  camp. 

"  I  had  not  gone  far  down  the  creek  when  I  ran  into  a 
fine  elk,  and  knocked  him  over  with  my  Henry  rifle.  I 
cut  off  the  choice  pieces,  and,  packing  them  on  my  pony, 
once  more  set  out  to  find  the  trail.  I  knew  the  command 
had  not  passed,  and  ascended  the  highest  point  on  the 
bluff,  straining  my  eyes  to  see  if  I  could  not  discover  it 
moving.  I  waited  several  hours,  but  not  finding  it,  I 
concluded  it  had  not  marched  by  the  old  trail,  but  struck 
straight  across  the  country.  I  now  moved  up  the  creek, 
determined  to  keep  along  its  bank  until  I  came  to  the  old 
camp,  and  then  follow  the  trail.  I  had  not  gone  far  when 
I  came  upon  two  Indians  who  belonged  to  my  company, 
and  who  were  also  looking  for  the  command. 

"  Night  was  coming  on,  the  wind  rising,  and  the  air 
growing  bitter  cold,  so  I  said  to  the  Indians  we  would  go 
down  the  creek  where  there  was  plenty  of  dry  wood,  and 
make  a  night  camp.  They  readily  assented,  and  we  set 
out,  arriving  at  a  fine  grove  just  before  dark. 


352  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  While  one  of  the  Indians  gathered  wood,  the  other 
one  and  I  cleared  away  the  snow  to  make  a  place  for  our 
camp.  The  snow  in  the  bottom  was  nearly  three  feet 
deep,  and  when  we  had  bared  the  ground  a  high  wall  was 
piled  up  all  around  us.  The  wood  was  soon  brought,  and 
a  bright  fire  blazing.  After  warming  ourselves,  we  opened 
a  passage  through  the  snow  for  a  short  distance,  and  clear- 
ing another  spot  led  our  horses  into  this  most  perishable 
of  stables.  Our  next  care  was  to  get  them  some  cotton- 
wood  limbs  to  eat,  and  then  we  gathered  small  dry  limbs 
and  made  a  bedstead  of  them  on  which  to  spread  our 
blankets.  Pilin"-  in  some  wood  until  the  fire  roared  and 
cracked,  we  sat  down  in  the  heat  of  the  blaze,  feeling 
quite  comfortable,  except  that  we  were  desperately  hungr3\ 
Some  coals  were  raked  out,  and  the  neck  of  the  elk  cut  off 
and  spitted  on  a  stick  to  roast.  When  it  was  done  we 
divided  it,  and  sprinkling  it  with  a  little  pei:)per  and  salt 
foom  our  haversacks  had  as  savoury  and  wholesome  a 
repast  as  any  epicure  might  desire.  After  supper,  hear- 
ing the  coyotes  howling  in  the  woods  below,  I  had  the 
Indians  bring  in  my  saddle,  to  which  was  strapped  the  elk 
meat,  and,  cutting  the  limb  off  a  tree  close  by  the  fire,  we 
lifted  the  saddle  astride  the  stump  so  high  up  that  the 
wolves  could  not  reach  it.  All  being  now  in  readiness 
for  the  night,  we  filled  our  pipes  and  sat  down  to  smoke 
and  talk. 

"  At  nine  o'clock  the  Indians  replenished  the  fire,  and, 
feeling  sleepy,  I  wrapped  myself  in  my  blankets  and  lay 
down  to  rest.  I  soon  fell  asleep,  and  slept  well  until 
nearly  midnight,  when  I  was  awakened  by  the  snapping 
and  snarling  of  the  wolves  near  the  fire.  The  wood  had 
burned  down  to  a  bed  of  coals,  and  gave  but  a  faint  light, 
but  I  could  see  a  dozen  pair  of  red  eyes  glaring  at  me 
over  the  edge  of  the  snowbank.  The  Indians  were  sound 
asleep,  and,  knowing  they  Avere  very  tired,  I  did  not  wake 


SIOUX    WAR   OF   1863  353 

them,  but  got  my  gun,  antl,  wrapping  myself  in  my  blank- 
ets, sat  up  by  the  lire  to  watch  the  varmints  and  warm 
my  feet.  Presently  I  heard  a  long  wild  howl  down  in 
the  woods,  and  knew  by  the  'whirr-ree,  whirr-ree'  in  it 
that  it  proceeded  from  the  throat  of  the  dreaded  buffalo 
wolf,  or  Kosh-e-nee,  of  the  prairies.  There  was  another 
howl,  then  another,  and  another,  and,  finally,  a  loud 
chorus  of  a  dozen.  Instantly  silence  fell  among  the 
coyotes,  and  they  began  to  scatter.  For  a  time  all  Avas 
quiet,  and  I  had  begun  to  doze,  when  suddenly  the  coals 
flew  all  over  me,  and  I  opened  ray  eyes  just  in  time  to  see 
a  great  gray  wolf  spring  out  of  the  fire  and  bound  up  the 
snowbank.  I  leaped  to  ray  feet  and  peered  into  the  dark- 
ness, where  I  could  see  scores  of  dark  shadows  moving 
about,  and  a  black  cluster  gathered  under  my  saddle.  I 
called  the  Indians,  who  quietly  and  nimbly  jumped  to 
their  feet,  and  came  forward  armed  with  their  revolvers. 
I  told  tliem  what  had  happened,  and  that  we  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  large  pack  of  gray  wolves.  We  had  no  fear 
for  ourselves,  but  felt  uneasy  lest  they  might  attack  our 
horses,  who  were  pawing  and  snorting  with  alarm.  I 
spoke  to  them  kindly,  and  they  immediately  became  quiet. 
At  the  suggestion  of  the  Indians  I  brought  forward  my 
revolvers,  and  we  all  sat  down  to  watch  tlie  varmints,  and 
see  what  they  would  do. 

"  In  a  few  minutes,  a  pair  of  fiery,  red  eyes  looked 
down  at  us  from  the  snowbank  ;  then  another,  and  another 
pair,  until  there  were  a  dozen.  We  sat  perfectly  still,  and 
presently  one  great  gray  wolf  gathered  himself,  and  made  a 
leap  for  the  elk-meat  on  the  saddle.  He  nearly  touched 
it  with  his  nose,  but  failed  to  secure  the  coveted  prize, 
and  fell  headlong  into  the  fire.  We  fired  two  shots  into 
him,  and  he  lay  still  until  one  of  the  Indians  pulled  him 
out  to  keep  his  hair  from  burning  and  making  a  disagree- 
able smell.     In  about  five  minutes,  another  wolf  leaped  at 

2  a 


354  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

our  elk-iueat  and  fell  in  the  fire.  We  despatched  liim  as 
we  had  done  the  first  one,  and  then  threw  him  across  the 
dead  body  of  his  brother.  So  we  kept  on  firing  until  we 
liad  killed  eight  wolves  ;  then,  tired  of  killing  the  brutes 
with  pistols,  I  brought  out  my  double-barrelled  shot-gun, 
and  loading  each  barrel  with  nine  buckshot,  waited  until 
the}"  were  gathered  thick  under  the  tree  on  which  hung 
my  meat,  and  then  let  them  have  it.  Every  discharge 
caused  some  to  tumble  down,  and  sent  the  rest  scamper- 
ing and  howling  to  the  rear.  Presently  they  became  more 
wary,  and  I  had  to  fire  on  them  at  long  range. 

"•  The  Indians  now  went  out  and  gathered  some  dry 
limbs,  and  we  kindled  up  a  bright  fire.  Then  we  threw 
the  carcasses  of  the  nine  dead  wolves,  that  were  in  our 
camp,  over  the  snowbank,  and  knowing  that  the  beasts 
would  not  come  near  our  bright  fire,  two  of  us  lay  down 
to  sleep,  while  the  third  remained  up  to  watch  and  keep 
the  fire  burning. 

"The  coyotes  now  returned,  and  with  unearthly  yells 
attacked  their  dead  brothers,  snapping,  snarling,  and 
quarrelling  over  their  carcasses  as  they  tore  the  flesh 
and  crunched  the  bones. 

"  We  rose  at  daylight,  and  through  the  dim  liglit  could 
see  the  coyotes  trotting  off  to  the  swamp,  while  near  the 
camp  lay  heads,  legs,  and  piles  of  cleanly  licked  bones,  all 
that  was  left  of  the  gray  wolves  we  had  killed. 

"After  breakfast  we  set  out  to  find  the  command, 
striking  across  the  country,  expecting  to  come  upon  their 
trail.  We  travelled  all  day,  however,  and  saw  no  trail. 
At  night  we  camped  out  again,  and  were  scarcely  in  camp, 
when  we  again  heard  the  wolves  howling  around  us. 
They  had  followed  us  all  day,  no  doubt  expecting  another 
repast,  such  as  had  been  served  to  them  the  night  before. 
We,  however,  kept  a  bright  fire  burning,  and  no  gray 
wolves  came  about  ;    so  the   coyotes  were    disappointed, 


SIOUX   WAR    OF    1803  355 

and  vented  their  disappointment  all  night  long  in  the 
most  dismal  howls  I  ever  heard.  At  times,  it  seemed  as 
though  there  were  five  hundred  of  them,  and  joining  their 
voices  in  chorus  they  would  send  up  a  volume  of  sound 
that  resembled  the  roar  of  a  tempest,  or  the  discordant 
singing  of  a  vast  multitude  of  people. 

"•  While  we  cooked  breakfast,  a  strong  picket  of  wolves 
watched  all  around  the  camp,  feasting  their  greedy  e3^es 
from  a  distance  on  my  elk-meat.  When  we  started  from 
camp,  a  hundred  or  more  of  them  followed  us,  often  com- 
ing quite  close  to  the  back  pony,  and  biting  and  quarrel- 
ling about  the  elk  that  was  never  to  be  their  meat.  When 
we  halted,  they  would  halt,  and  sitting  down,  loll  out 
their  tongues  and  lick  the  snow.  At  length,  I  took  my 
shot-gun,  and  loading  the  barrels,  fired  into  the  thickest 
of  the  pack.  Two  or  three  were  wounded,  and  no  sooner 
did  their  companions  discover  that  they  were  bleeding 
and  disabled,  than  they  fell  upon  them,  tore  them  to 
pieces,  and  devoured  every  morsel  of  their  flesh.  I  had 
seen  men  who  would  do  the  same  thing  with  their  fellows, 
but  until  I  witnessed  the  contrary  with  my  own  eyes,  I 
had  supposed  this  practice  was  confined  to  the  superior 
brute  creation. 

"  The  third  day  out,  finding  no  trace  of  the  command, 
we  concluded  to  go  back  to  the  Medicine  and  seek  the 
old  camp,  from  which  we  coidd  take  the  trail  and  follow 
it  up  until  we  came  upon  it.  We  reached  the  Medicine 
at  sundown,  and  there,  to  our  satisfaction,  found  the 
troops  still  in  camp,  where  we  had  left  them.  They 
had  not  marched  in  consequence  of  the  cold  and  foggy 
weather. 

"  I  was  soon  in  my  own  tent  and  sound  asleep,  being 
thoroughly  worn  out  with  the  exposure  and  fatigue  of 
my  long  journey. 

""  I  was  sent  down  from  Camp  Cottonwood  (now  Fort 


356  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Mc'Pliersoii),  with  thirty  men,  to  Gihnairs  Ranch,  fifteen 
miles  east  of  Cottonwood  on  the  Phitte,  where  I  was  to 
remain,  guard  the  ranch,  and  furnish  guards  to  lien 
HoUiday's  overhind  stage-coaches.  In  those  days,  Gil- 
man's  was  an  important  place,  and  in  earlier  times  had 
been  a  great  trading  point  for  the  Sioux.  Two  or  three 
trails  led  from  the  llepublican  to  this  place  and  every 
winter  the  Sioux  had  come  in  with  their  ponies  loaded 
dowui  with  buffalo,  beaver,  elk,  and  deer  skins,  which 
they  exchanged  with  the  traders  at  Oilman's.  War  had, 
however,  put  a  stop  to  these  peaceful  pursuits  ;  still  the 
Sioux  could  not  give  up  the  habit  of  travelling  these 
favourite  trails.  The  ponies  often  came  in  from  the  Re- 
publican, not  now  laden  with  furs  and  robes,  but  each 
bearing  a  Sioux  warrior.  The  overland  coaches  offered 
a  great  temptation  to  the  cupidity  of  the  Sioux,  and  they 
were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  of  any  opportunity  to 
attack  them.  The  coaches  carried  the  mails  and  much 
treasure,  and  if  the  savages  could  now  and  then  succeed 
in  capturing  one,  they  got  money,  jcAvels,  scalps,  horses, 
and  not  infrequently  wdiite  women,  as  a  reward  for  their 
enterprise. 

"  Troops  were  stationed  in  small  squads  at  every  station, 
about  ten  miles  apart,  and  they  rode  from  station  to  station 
on  the  top  of  all  coaches,  holding  their  guns  ever  ready 
for  action.  It  was  not  pleasant,  this  sitting  perched  up 
on  top  of  a  coach,  riding  through  dark  ravines  and  tall 
grass,  in  which  savages  were  ever  lurking.  Generally  the 
first  fire  from  the  Indians  killed  one  or  two  horses,  and 
tumbled  a  soldier  or  two  off  the  top  of  the  coach.  This 
setting  one's  self  as  a  sort  of  a  target  was  a  disagreeable 
and  dangerous  duty,  but  the  soldiers  performed  it  without 
murmuring.  My  squad  had  to  ride  up  to  Cottonwood, 
and  down  to  the  station  below,  where  they  waited  for 
the  next  coach  going  the   other  wav,  and  returned   by  it 


SIOUX    WAU    OF    1863  357 

to  their  post  at  Gilman's.  All  the  other  stations  were 
guarded  in  like  manner;  so  it  happened  that  every  coach 
carried  some  soldiers. 

"  One  evening  my  pony  was  missing,  and  thinking  he 
had  strayed  off  but  a  short  distance,  I  buckled  on  my 
revolvers  and  went  out  to  look  for  him.  I  had  not 
intended  to  go  far,  but  not  iinding  him,  I  walked  on,  and 
on,  until  I  found  myself  some  four  miles  from  the  ranch. 
Alarmed  at  my  indiscretion,  for  I  knew  the  country  was 
full  of  Indians,  I  hastily  set  out  to  return,  and  as  it  was 
jiow  growing  dark,  I  determined  to  go  up  a  ravine  that 
led  to  the  post  by  a  nearer  route  than  the  trail.  I  had 
got  nearly  to  the  end  of  the  ravine,  where  the  stage-road 
crossed  it,  and  was  about  to  turn  into  the  road  when,  on 
looking  up  the  bank,  I  saw  on  the  crest  of  the  slope  some 
dark  objects.  At  first  I  thought  they  were  ponies,  for 
they  were  moving  on  all  fours,  and  directly  toward  the 
road.  I  ran  up  the  bank,  and  had  not  gone  more  than 
ten  yards,  when  I  heard  voices,  and  looking  around,  saw 
within  a  dozen  steps  of  me  five  or  six  Indians  lying  on 
the  grass,  and  talking  in  low  tones.  They  had  noticed 
me,  but  evidently  thought  I  was  one  of  their  own  number. 
Divining  the  situation  in  a  moment,  I  walked  carelessly 
on  until  near  the  crest  of  the  hill,  where  I  suddenly  came 
upon  a  dozen  more  Indians,  crawling  along  on  their  hands 
and  knees.  One  of  them  gruffly  ordered  me  down,  and  I 
am  sure  I  lost  no  time  in  dropping  into  the  grass.  Crawl- 
ing carefully  along,  for  I  knew  it  would  not  do  to  stop,  I 
still  managed  to  keep  a  good  way  behind  and  off  to  one 
side.  We  at  last  reached  the  road,  and  the  Indians,  gun 
in  hand,  took  up  their  position  in  the  long  grass  close  by 
the  roadside.  I  knew  the  up-coach  would  be  due  at  the 
station  in  half  an  hour,  and  I  was  now  myself  in  the  un- 
pleasant position  of  waylaying  one  of  the  very  coaches  I 
had  been  sent  to  guard.     Perhaps  one  of  my  own  soldiers 


358  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

comiiifT  up  oil  the  coach  would  kill  me,  and  then  what 
would  people  say  ?  how  would  my  presence  with  the 
Indians  be  explained  ?  and  how  would  it  sound  to  have 
the  newspapers  2)ublish,  far  and  near,  that  an  officer 
of  tlie  United  States  army  had  deserted  his  jDOst,  joined 
the  Indians,  and  attacked  a  stage-coach  ?  However, 
there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  I  lay  still  waiting  for 
developments.  It  was  now  time  for  the  coach,  and  we 
watched  the  road  with  straining  eyes.  Two  or  three 
times  I  thought  I  heard  the  rumbling  of  the  wheels,  and 
a  tremor  seized  me,  but  it  was  only  the  wind  rustling  in 
the  tall  grass.  An  hour  went  by,  and  still  no  coach. 
The  Indians  became  uneasy,  and  one  who  seemed  to 
be  the  leader  of  the  expedition  rose  up,  and,  motioning 
the  others  to  follow  him,  started  off  down  the  hill 
toward  the  ravine.  I  made  a  motion  as  if  getting  up, 
and  seeing  the  Indians'  backs  turned,  dropped  flat  on 
my  face  and  lay  perfectly  still.  Slowly  their  footsteps 
faded  away,  and  raising  my  head  I  saw  them  mount  their 
ponies  and  disappear  over  the  neighbouring  hill,  as  if 
going  down  the  road  to  meet  the  coach. 

"As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight,  I  sprang  up  and 
ran  as  fast  as  I  could  to  the  ranch  when,  relating  what 
had  happened,  I  started  with  some  soldiers  and  citizens 
down  the  road  to  meet  the  stage.  We  had  not  gone  far 
when  we  heard  it  coming  up,  and  on  reaching  it  found  it 
had  been  attacked  by  Indians  a  few  miles  below,  one  pas- 
senger killed  and  two  severely  wounded.  The  coach  had 
but  three  horses,  one  having  been  killed  in  the  fight. 
The  Indians  had  dashed  at  the  coach  mounted,  hoping 
to  kill  the  horses,  and  thus  cut  off  all  means  of  retreat  or 
flight,  but  they  had  only  succeeded  in  killing  one  horse, 
when  the  passengers  and  soldiers  had  driven  them  off, 
compelling  them  to  carry  two  of  their  number  with  them, 
dead  or  desperately  wounded. 


SIOCX   WAR   OF   1863  359 

"  I  was  more  careful  after  that,  when  I  went  out  hunt- 
ing ponies,  and  never  tried  again  to  waylay  a  coach  with 
Indians. 

"  Among  the  soldiers  stationed  at  Oilman's  Ranch  were 
a  number  of  Omaha  and  Winnebago  Indians,  who  be- 
longed to  my  company,  in  the  First  Nebraska  Cavalry. 
I  had  done  all  I  could  to  teach  them  the  ways  of  civili- 
zation, but  despite  my  instructions,  and  their  utmost 
endeavours  to  give  up  their  wild  and  barbarous  practices, 
every  now  and  then  old  habits  would  become  too  strong 
upon  them  to  be  borne,  and  they  would  indulge  in  the 
savage  customs  of  their  youth.  At  such  times  they 
would  throw  aside  their  uniforms,  and,  wrapping  a 
blanket  about  them,  sing  and  dance  for  hours. 

"  One  evening  they  were  in  a  particularly  jolly  mood, 
and  having  obtained  permission  to  have  a  dance,  went  out 
in  front  of  the  building,  and  for  want  of  a  better  scalp- 
pole,  assembled  around  one  of  the  telegraph  poles.  One 
fellow  pounded  lustily  on  a  piece  of  leather  nailed  over 
the  mouth  of  a  keg,  while  the  others  hopped  around  in  a 
circle,  first  upon  one  leg,  then  the  other,  shaking  over 
their  heads  oyster-cans,  that  had  been  filled  with  pebbles, 
and  keeping  time  to  the  rude  music,  with  a  sort  of  gut- 
tural song.  Now  it  would  be  low  and  slow,  and  the 
dancers  barely  move,  then,  increasing  in  volume  and  ra- 
pidity, it  would  become  wild  and  vociferous,  the  dancers 
walking  very  fast,  much  as  the  negroes  do  in  their  '  cake- 
walks.'  We  had  had  all  manner  of  dances  and  songs, 
and  enough  drumming  and  howling  to  have  made  any 
one  tired,  still  the  Indians  seemed  only  warming  up  to 
their  work.  The  savage  frenzy  was  upon  them,  and  I  let 
them  alone  until  near  midnight.  Their  own  songs  and 
dances  becoming  tiresome,  I  asked  them  to  give  me  some 
Sioux  songs,  for  I  had  been  thinking  all  the  evening  of  the 
village  up  the  Missouri,  and  of  my  squaws.     The  Indians 


360 


THK    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 


immediately  struck  up  a  Sioux  war  song,  accompanying 
it  with  the  war  dance. 

"  All  the  Indian  songs  and  dances  are  terminated  with 
a  jump,  and  a  sort  of  wild  yell  or  whoop.  When  they 
had  danced  the  Sioux  war  song,  and  ended  it  with  the 
usual  whoop,  what  was  our  surprise  to  hear  it  answered 
back  at  no  great  distance,  out  upon  the  prairie.     At  first 


:'^^f^^^  . 


3c/dcn 

r/ic  h^/)/rc  Glee 


I  thouglit  it  was  the  echo,  but  Springer,  a  half-breed 
Indian,  assured  me  what  I  had  heard  was  the  cry  of  other 
Indians.  To  satisfy  myself,  I  bade  the  Indians  repeat  the 
song  and  dance,  and  this  time,  sure  enough,  when  it  was 
ended  the  whoop  was  answered  quite  near  the  ranch.  I 
went  inside,  lest  my  uniform  should  be  seen,  and  telling 
Springer  to  continue  the  dance,  I  went  to  a  back  window 
and  looked  out,  in  the  direction  from  which  the  sound 
came. 


SIOUX   WAR   OF    18 J]  361 

"The  moon  was  just  rising,  and  I  could  distinctly  see 
three  Sioux  Indian  warriors  sitting  on  their  ponies,  with- 
in a  few  hundred  paces  of  the  house.  They  seemed  to  be 
intently  watching  what  was  going  on,  and  were  by  no 
means  certain  as  to  the  character  of  the  performers  or 
performance.  At  a  glance,  I  made  them  out  to  be  our 
deadly  enemies,  the  Ogallalla  Sioux,  and  determined  to 
catch  them.  I  quickly  called  Springer,  and  bade  him 
kindle  up  a  small  lire,  and  tell  the  Indians  to  strike  up 
the  death  song  and  scalp-dance  of  the  Sioux.  This,  as  I 
expected,  at  once  reassured  the  strange  warriors,  and,  rid- 
ing up  quite  close,  they  asked  Springer,  who  was  not  dan- 
cing, and  who  had  purposely  put  himself  in  their  way  :  — • 

"  '  What  are  you  dancing  for?  ' 

" '  Dancing  the  scalps  of  four  white  soldiers  we  have 
killed,'  replied  Springer. 

" '  How  did  you  kill  them  ? '  inquired  the  foremost 
Indian  warrior. 

" '  You  see,'  said  Springer,  who,  being  part  Sioux,  spoke 
the  language  perfectly,  ""we  were  coming  down  from  the 
Neobarrah,!  and  going  over  to  the  Republican  to  see 
Spotted  Tail  and  our  friends,  the  Ogallallas,  when  some 
soldiers  fired  on  us  here,  and  seeing  there  were  but  four 
of  them,  we  attacked  and  killed  them  all.  They  are  now 
lying  dead  inside  ;  come,  get  down  and  help  dance  their 
scalps.' 

"  Two  of  the  warriors  immediately  dismounted,  giving 
their  ponies  to  a  third  one  to  hold,  who  remained  mounted. 
Springer  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of  this,  but  leading  the 
warriors  up  to  the  dance,  joined  in  with  them,  the  other 
Indians  making  room  in  the  circle  for  the  newcomers. 

"  When  the  dance  was  ended.  Springer  said,  '  Come,  let 
us  bring  out  the  scalps,'  and  turning  to  the  two  Indians, 
inquired,  '  Will  you  look  at  the  bodies  ?  '     About  half  the 

1  Niobrara. 


362  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

Indians  had  already  gone  into  the  ranch,  under  pretence 
of  getting  the  scalps,  and  the  two  Sioux  walked  in  with 
Springer,  apparently  without  suspicion  that  anything  was 
wrong. 

"  As  soon  as  they  had  crossed  the  threshold  the  door 
was  closed  behind  them,  and  two  burly  Omahas  placed 
their  backs  against  it.  It  was  entirely  dark  in  the  ranch, 
and  Springer  proceeded  to  strike  a  light.  When  the  blaze 
of  the  dry  grass  flared  up  it  revealed  everything  in  the 
room,  and  there  stood  the  two  Sioux,  surrounded  by  the 
Omahas,  and  a  dozen  revolvers    levelled  at  their  heads. 

"  Never  shall  I  forget  the  yell  of  rage  and  terror  they 
set  up,  when  they  found  they  were  entrapped.  The  Sioux 
Avarrior  outside,  who  was  holding  the  ponies,  heard  it,  and 
plunging  his  heels  into  the  sides  of  his  pony,  made  off  as 
fast  as  he  could.  Notwithstanding  my  men  fired  a  dozen 
shots  at  him,  he  got  off  safely,  and  carried  away  with  him 
all  of  the  three  ponies. 

"  The  two  Sioux  in  the  ranch  were  bound  hand  and 
foot,  and  laid  in  one  corner  of  the  room  ;  then  my  Indians 
returned  to  the  telegraph  pole  to  finish  their  dance.  Feel- 
ing tired,  I  lay  down  and  fell  asleep. 

"  Next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  most  unearthly 
yells,  and  looking  out,  saw  my  Indians  leaping  and  dan- 
cing and  yelling  around  the  telegraph  pole,  where  they 
now  had  a  large  fire  burning.  Presently  Springer  came 
in  and  said  the  Indians  wanted  the  prisoners.  I  told  him 
they  could  not  have  them,  and  that  in  the  morning  I 
would  send  them  to  Colonel  Brown,  at  McPherson,  as  was 
my  duty.  Springer,  who  was  a  non-commissioned  officer, 
communicated  this  message  to  the  Indians,  when  the  yell- 
ing and  howling  redoubled.  In  a  short  time.  Springer 
came  in  again,  and  said  he  could  do  nothing  with  the 
Indians,  and  that  they  were  determined  to  have  the 
prisoners,  at  the  same  time  advising  me  to  give  them  up. 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  363 

I  again  refused,  when  the  Indians  rushed  into  the  ranch, 
and,  seizing  the  j)i'isoii6rs,  dragged  them  out.  Seeing 
they  were  frenzied  I  made  no  resistance,  but  followed 
them  closely,  keeping  concealed,  however. 

"  They  took  the  Sioux  to  an  island  on  the  Platte,  below 
the  ranch,  and  there,  tying  them  to  a  tree,  gathered  a 
pile  of  wood  and  set  it  on  fire." 

Here  follows  a  description  of  the  unspeakable  tortures 
which  the  unfortunate  prisoners  suffered,  and  whicli  are 
too  horrible  to  be  told  in  these  pages. 

"  The  Sioux  uttered  not  a  complaint,  but  endured  all 
their  sufferings  with  that  stoicism  for  Avhich  the  Indian  is 
so  justly  celebrated,  and  which  belongs  to  no  other  race 
in  the  world. 

"  Sick  at  heart,  I  crept  back  to  the  ranch  and  went  to 
bed,  leaving  the  Indians  engaged  in  a  furious  scalp-dance, 
and  whirling  the  bloody  scalps  of  the  Sioux  over  their 
heads,  with  long  poles  to  which  they  had  them  fastened. 

"  Next  morning,  when  I  awoke,  I  found  the  Indians 
wrapped  in  their  blankets,  and  lying  asleep  all  around  me. 
The  excitement  of  the  night  had  passed  off,  and  brought 
its  corresponding  depression.  They  were  very  docile  and 
stupid,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  I  could  arouse 
them  for  the  duties  of  the  day.  I  asked  several  of  them 
what  had  become  of  the  Sioux  prisoners,  but  could  get 
no  other  answer  than,  '  Guess  him  must  have  got  away.' 

"  I  was  sorely  tempted  to  report  the  affair  to  the  com- 
manding officer  at  Fort  McPherson,  and  have  the  Indians 
punished,  but  believing  it  would  do  more  good  in  the  end 
to  be  silent,  I  said  nothing  about  it.  After  all,  the 
Omahas  and  Winnebagoes  had  treated  the  Sioux  just  as 
the  Sioux  would  have  treated  them,  had  they  been  capt- 
ured, and  so,  it  being  a  matter  altogether  among  savages, 
I  let  it  rest  where  it  belonged. 

"  I  was  for  a  time,  in  1865,  on  duty  at  Fort  Cottonwood, 


364  THK   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Nebraska,  as  adjutant  uf  my  regiment,  the  First  Nebraska 
Volunteer  Cavalry,  when  the  scarcity  of  officers  at  the 
post  made  it  necessary  for  the  commanding  officer  to 
detail  me,  with  thirty  Indian  soldiers,  to  proceed  to,  and 
garrison  Jack  Morrow's  Ranch,  twelve  miles  west  of  the 
fort,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Platte  River.  The  Sioux 
were  very  hostile  then,  and  it  was  an  ordinary  occurrence 
for  ranches  to  be  burned  and  the  owners  killed. 

"  Morrow's  Ranch,  unlike  the  little,  low,  adobe  ranches 
everywhere  seen,  was  a  large  three-story  building,  with 
out-buildings  adjacent,  and  a  fine  large  stable  for  stock, 
the  whole  being  surrounded  by  a  commodious  stockade  of 
cedar  palisades,  set  deep  in  the  ground,  and  projecting  to 
the  height  of  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  above  the  surface. 

"  Upon  arriving  at  the  ranch,  late  at  night,  my  usually 
noisy  Indians  were  quietly  sleeping  in  the  huge  ox-wagons, 
which  had  been  provided  for  transportation.  I  found  the 
front  of  the  ranch  lit  up  by  fires  built  between  the  stock- 
ade and  the  buildings  on  a  narrow  strip  of  ground,  serving 
for  a  front  yard.  I  had  been  informed  by  the  commanding 
officer  at  Cottonwood,  that  Mr.  Morrow  was  not  living  at 
his  ranch,  but  was  away  East,  and  the  object  in  sending 
me  there  was  to  prevent  the  Indians  from  burning  so  valu- 
able a  property.  I  was  not  prepared  to  find  a  party  en- 
camped at  the  ranch,  and  not  knowing  but  that  they 
might  be  Indians,  waiting  in  so  favourable  a  spot  to  waylay 
travellers  or  emigrants  passing  the  road  in  front  of  the 
stockade,  I  told  my  drivers  to  halt  their  teams,  and, 
quietly  awakening  my  Indians,  I  bade  them  be  in  readi- 
ness to  rush  up  if  I  should  give  them  a  signal  by  yelling, 
but  to  remain  in  the  wagons  until  I  called  them,  and  to 
make  no  noise.  I  then  quietly  rode  forward  to  recon- 
noitre, and  as  the  stockade  timbers  were  set  very  close 
together,  I  had  to  crawl  up  to  the  loop-holes  cut  in  the 
timber  to  see  what  was  going  on  inside.     Standing  on  the 


SIOUX   WAR   OF    1863  365 

ground,  and  holding  my  pony's  nose  with  my  hand  to 
keep  him  quiet,  I  stood  on  my  tiptoes,  and  coukl  see, 
through  one  of  the  loop-holes,  a  curious  sight,  but  one 
natural  enough  on  the  frontier. 

"  Grouped  around  three  small  fires,  built  close  to  the 
front  of  the  ranch,  sat  some  ten  or  twelve  weather-beaten 
men,  whose  hair  hung  to  their  shoulders,  and  each  one  of 
wdiom  wore  a  slouched  hat,  a  pair  of  revolvers,  and  a  good 
stout  knife,  the  inseiDarable  companions  of  a  western 
prairie  man.  All  were  intent  on  eating  suj^per  of  fried 
bacon,  slapjacks,  and  coffee. 

"  They  had  no  guard,  doubtless  feeling  secure  in  their 
number  and  means  of  defence,  against  any  Indian  attack 
that  might  be  made.  '  Hello  !  '  I  shouted,  '  have  you  got 
supper  znough  for  one  more  ?  '  '  Yes,  if  you  are  white  or 
red  ;  but  if  black,  no,'  was  answered  back,  with  an  invi- 
tation to  '  show  '  myself.  I  led  the  pony  across  the  narrow 
trench  which  ran  around  the  stockade,  and,  mounting  him, 
rode  into  the  yard.  As  I  approached  the  party  I  over- 
heard remarks,  such  as,  'An  army  cuss';  'One  of  those 
little  stuck-up  officers.'  But  not  appearing  to  have  heard 
them,  I  got  down,  and  asked  what  party  they  were. 
'Wood-haulers,'  they  replied  ;  'taking  building  logs  down 
the  road';  followed  by  'Who  are  you,  and  where  are  you 
going  this  late  at  night  ? '  I  told  them  who  I  was,  and 
that  I  had  now  finished  ni}-  journey,  as  I  intended  to  stop 
there.  I  was  immediately  informed  in  a  curt  manner 
that  they  guessed  I  was  rather  '  mixed '  about  staying 
there,  if  I  had  any  stock  along,  for  tlie  stables  were  full, 
and  the  ranch,  too  ;  and  they  had  no  room  for  any  addi- 
tional people  or  stock.  I  told  them  that  I  had  two  teams 
standing  outside,  and  that  it  was  my  intention  to  put  the 
mules  and  my  pony  in  the  stable  ;  and  if  there  was  no 
room  there,  I  should  make  room  by  turning  out  some  of 
their  animals.     To  this  I  wa.s  plainly  told  that  I  could 


366  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

neither  turn  a  mule  out  nor  put  iiu  iuiinuil  in,  nor  could  I 
remain  at  the  ranch,  which  they  had  occupied  for  their 
own  quarters,  Jack  Morrow  having  left  and  gone  East, 
probably  never  to  return.  They  said  they  were  a  little 
stronger  in  numbers  than  myself  and  my  two  drivers,  and 
I  must  move  on  or  they  would  make  me.  I  told  them 
that  I  was  a  United  States  officer,  acting  under  orders, 
and  that  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for  me  to  ride  back 
to  Cottonwood  and  get  men  enough  to  enforce  my  orders 
unless  they  submitted.  Several  of  the  rough-looking  fel- 
lows said  that  they  each  carried  good  revolvers,  and  that 
it  was  an  easy  matter  to  stop  me  if  I  attempted  to  return 
to  Cottonwood,  and  swore  they  would  do  so.  I  remained 
quiet  for  a  moment,  and  the  leader  of  the  party  looking 
at  me,  asked  :  '  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  '  'I 
am  going  to  open  the  stables  and  put  my  animals  in  that 
shelter,'  I  replied,  at  the  same  time  mounting  my  pony 
and  riding  out  to  the  stables,  a  short  distance  in  front  of 
which  stood  my  teams.  Several  of  the  frontiersmen  got 
up,  and,  without  saying  a  word,  walked  to  the  stables,  and 
went  up  close  to  the  doors.  I  ordered  the  teamsters  to 
drive  to  the  stables,  unharness  from  the  heavy  ox-wagons, 
place  their  teams  inside,  and  if  they  could  not  find  vacant 
stalls  enough,  to  untie  and  turn  loose  mules  to  empty  the 
required  number  for  my  teams.  The  teamsters  obeyed 
by  driving  up,  and  when  they  had  dismounted  and  were 
about  to  unhitch  from  the  wagons,  one  of  the  wood- 
haulers  at  the  stable  door  said  :  '  You  can  save  yourself 
the  trouble,  mister,  of  unhitching  them  mules,  for  you 
ain't  a  going  to  put  them  in  this  stable  ;  and  the  first 
man  that  attempts  it  I'll  fix.' 

"'Suppose  I  wish  to  open  that  door  and  put  up  my 
teams,'  said  I,  '  without  any  trouble  ;  wouldn't  it  be  bet- 
ter for  all  concerned  ? '  '  You  go  to  h — 1 !  '  he  replied  ; 
and  added,  '  You  won't  get  in  this  stable  ;  that's  settled.' 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  367 

*  I'll  see  about  that  ! '  and  yelling  '  Turn  out  !  Turn  out  ! ' 
in  the  Indian  language,  my  soldiers  jumped  from  the  can- 
vas-covered wagons,  yelling  like  demons,  and  brandishing 
their  carbines  and  revolvers  in  a  threatening  manner. 
Never  were  men  so  taken  back  as  the  wood-haulers.  They 
were  sure  we  were  Sioux,  and  started  to  run,  but  I  called 
them  back.  Not  a  word  was  then  spoken  while  my 
Indians  led  the  mules,  that  were  now  unhitched,  into  the 
stables. 

"  Leaving  the  teamsters  to  feed  and  water  their  animals, 
I  turned  my  pony  over  to  an  Omaha,  to  unsaddle,  and 
marched  my  soldiers  up  to  the  house,  of  which  I  took  pos- 
session. The  roughs  changed  their  tune,  and  tried  to 
laugh  the  matter  off,  saying  the}^  knew  all  the  time  the 
wagons  were  full  of  soldiers,  and  they  only  wanted  to  see 
if  I  had  '  nerve.'  I  told  them  they  could  leave  their  teams 
in  the  stables,  as  my  teamsters  told  me  there  was  room 
enough  yet  remaining  for  all  the  mules,  but  that  in  the 
morning  they  must  leave.  At  early  light  they  were  off, 
not,  however,  before  I  had  found  out  the  names  of  the 
leaders  of  the  gang.  The  doors  of  the  house  had  been 
taken  off  the  hinges,  and  the  framed  pine  used  to  sleep 
and  chop  meat  on,  all  being  marked  with  gashes  chopped 
in  them  with  axes.  The  windows  were  also  broken,  the 
glass  and  sashes  gone,  and  the  building  as  much  damaged 
as  if  Indians  had  been  there  for  a  month.  I  did  all  I 
could  to  save  the  property  scattered  over  the  grounds,  and 
remained  at  the  ranch  some  weeks,  until  an  order  came 
for  me  to  go  to  Omaha  as  a  witness  before  the  United 
States  Court. 

"  While  the  troops  lay  at  Camp  Cottonwood,  now  Fort 
McPherson,  the  scurvy  broke  out  among  the  men  and 
caused  terrible  suffering.  There  were  no  anti-scorbutics 
nearer  than  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  which  could  be  had  for 
the  troops,  and  before  these  could  be  received,  the  disease 


368  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

increased  to  an  alarming  extent.  At  last,  however,  the 
remedies  arrived,  and  the  men  began  rapidly  to  convalesce. 
The  doctor  advised  them  to  eat  wild  fruit  and  berries,  and 
to  take  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  open  air.  There  was  a 
plum  grove  about  four  miles  from  the  camp,  and  as  this 
wild  fruit  was  very  wholesome,  the  sick  men  went  out 
nearly  every  day  to  gather  it. 

"  One  morning.  Captain  j\I  itch  ell,  of  the  Seventh  Iowa 
Cavalry,  procured  an  ambulance,  and,  taking  with  him  a 
driver  named  Anderson,  an  orderly  named  Cramer,  and 
seven  hospital  patients,  started  for  the  plum  grove.  They 
arrived  at  the  first  grove  about  ten  o'clock,  and,  finding 
that  most  of  the  plums  had  been  gathered,  drove  on  to 
another  grove  some  three  miles  farther  up  the  canon. 
They  were  now  about  seven  miles  from  camp,  too  far  to 
be  safe,  but,  as  no  Indians  had  been  seen  latel}^  in  the 
country,  they  did  not  feel  uneasy.  At  the  upper  grove 
they  found  two  soldiers  of  the  First  Nebraska  Cavalry, 
named  Bentz  and  Wise,  who  had  been  sent  out  by  the 
quartermaster  to  look  for  stray  mules,  and  they  had 
stopped  to  gather  some  plums.  As  both  these  men  were 
Avell  armed.  Captain  INIitchell  attached  them  to  his  party, 
and  felt  perfectly  secure. 

"  Bentz  and  Wise  went  up  the  cailon  a  little  way,  and 
while  eating  fruit  were  suddenly  fired  on  from  the  bushes 
by  almost  a  dozen  Indians.  At  the  first  volley  Bentz  had 
his  belt  cut  away  by  a  ball,  and  lost  his  revolver.  The 
soldiers  turned  to  fly,  but,  as  they  galloped  off,  another 
ball  entered  Bentz'  side,  desperately  wounding  him. 
They  now  rode  down  the  canon,  hoping  to  rejoin  Cap- 
tain Mitchell's  party,  but  soon  saw  a  body  of  Indians 
riding  down  the  bluff  ahead  of  them,  evidently  with  the 
design  of  cuttina^  them  off.  Wise  told  Bentz  to  ride 
hard,  at  the  same  time  handing  him  one  of  his  revolvers, 
to  defend  himself  in  case  of  emergency.     Bentz  was  very 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  369 

feeble  and  dizzy,  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  he  coukl  barely 
sit  in  the  saddle. 

"  Wise  was  mounted  on  a  superb  horse  belonging  to 
Lieutenant  Cutler,  which  he  had  taken  out  to  exercise, 
and,  seeing  that  the  Indians  would  head  them  off,  and 
that  Bentz,  who  was  riding  an  old  mule,  could  not  keep 
up,  he  gave  the  powerful  brute  rein,  and  shot  down  the 
canon  like  an  arrow.  He  passed  the  intervening  Indians 
in  safety,  just  as  three  of  them  dashed  out  of  a  pocket  in 
the  bluff  and  cut  off  poor  Bentz. 

"  Wise  saw  Bentz  knocked  from  liis  mule,  and,  know- 
ing it  was  useless  to  try  to  save  him,  left  him  to  his  fate, 
and  thought  only  of  saving  his  own  life.  He  rode  hard 
for  Captain  ^Mitchell,  Avho  was  not  far  distant,  but  before 
he  could  reach  him  another  party  of  Sioux  headed  him  off, 
and  he  turned  and  rode  up  the  bluffs  to  the  flat  lands. 
The  Indians  pursued  him,  and  made  every  effort  to  kill  or 
capture  him,  but  his  fine  horse  bore  him  out  of  every  dan- 
ger. Three  times  he  was  cut  off  from  the  camp,  but  by 
taking  a  wide  circuit  he  managed  to  ride  around  the 
Indians,  and  at  last  succeeded  in  reaching  the  high  road 
above  the  camp.  As  many, settlers  lived  on  this  road, 
the  Indians  did  not  venture  to  follow  him  along  it,  and 
he  was  soon  safely  housed  in  the  log-cabin  of  a  frontiers- 
man, and  relating  his  adventures. 

"  Meanwhile  Captain  Mitchell,  having  seen  the  fate  of 
Bentz  and  escape  of  Wise,  made  haste  to  assemble  his 
party,  and,  lifting  those  who  were  too  weak  to  climb  into 
the  wagon,  they  set  off  for  the  camp.  Mitchell  and  An- 
derson were  the  only  two  of  the  party  who  had  arms,  but 
they  assured  the  sick  men  they  would  defend  them  to  the 
last.  Anderson  took  the  lines  and  drove,  while  Mitchell 
seated  himself  in  the  rear  end  of  the  ambulance,  with  a 
Henry  rifle  to  keep  off  the  Indians. 

"  They  had  not  gone  far  before  they  came  upon  a  large 

2b 


370  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

force  of  warriors  drawn  across  the  canon,  to  cut  off  their 
retreat.  The  bluffs  were  very  steep  and  high  on  both 
sides  of  them,  and  escape  seemed  impossible;  nevertheless 
Mitchell  ordered  Anderson  to  run  his  team  at  the  right- 
hand  bluff  and  try  and  ascend  it.  The  spirited  animals 
dashed  up  the  steep  bank  and  drew  the  wagon  nearly  half- 
way up,  when  one  of  the  wheels  balked  and  nearly  over- 
turned the  wagon.  A  loud  yell  from  the  savages,  at  this 
moment,  so  frightened  the  horses  that  they  sjDrang  for- 
ward, and,  before  they  could  appreciate  it,  they  were  over 
the  bluff  on  the  level  prairie,  and  flying  toward  the  camp 
at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour. 

"  They  now  began  to  hope,  but  had  onh'  gone  as  far  as 
the  first  plum  grove  when  they  saw  the  Indians  circling 
around  them,  and  once  more  getting  between  them  and 
the  post.  Still  they  hoped  that  some  soldiers  might  be 
in  the  first  grove  gathering  plums,  or  that  Wise  had 
reached  the  post  and  given  the  alarm,  so  that  help  would 
soon  come  to  them.  Captain  jNIitchell  fired  his  rifle  once 
or  twice,  to  attract  the  attention  of  any  persons  who 
might  be  in  the  plum  grove,  but  there  was  no  response, 
and  Anderson  drove  rapidly  on. 

"  The  Indians  now  began  to  close  in  upon  the  ambu- 
lance from  all  sides.  They  Avould  ride  swiftly  by  a  few 
yards  distant,  and,  swinging  themselves  behind  the  neck 
and  shoulders  of  their  ponies,  fire  arrows  or  balls  into  the 
wagon.  Two  of  the  sick  men  had  alread}^  been  wounded, 
and  Captain  Mitchell,  finding  it  impossible  to  defend 
them  while  the  ambulance  was  in  motion,  the  shaking 
continually  destroying  his  aim,  ordered  Anderson  to 
drive  to  the  top  of  the  hill  near  by,  and  they  would  fight 
it  out  with  the  redskins.  Cramer  now  took  the  lines, 
when,  either  through  fear  or  because  he  did  not  believe 
in  tlie  policy  of  stQpping,  he  kept  straight  on.  Captain 
Mitchell  twice  ordered  Cramer  to  pull  up,  but,  as  he  paid 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  3i71 

no  attention,  lie  told  Anderson  to  take  the  lines  from  him. 
In  attempting  to  obey  the  Captain's  order,  Anderson  lost 
his  footing  and  fell  out  of  the  wagon.  The  Captain  now 
sprang  forward,  put  his  foot  on  the  brake  to  lock  the 
wheels,  when  a  sudden  lurch  of  the  wagon  caused  him  to 
lose  his  balance,  and  he  fell  headlong  on  the  prairie. 
Fortunately,  he  alighted  near  a  deep  gully,  where  the 
water  had  cut  out  the  bank,  and,  rolling  himself  into  it, 
he  looked  out  and  saw  Anderson  crawling  into  a  bunch 
of  bushes  near  by.  When  these  accidents  happened,  the 
ambulance  had  just  crossed  over  the  crest  of  a  little  hill, 
and,  as  the  Indians  had  not  come  over  as  yet,  they  did 
not  see  either  of  the  men  fall  from  the  wagon.  The  Cap- 
tain had  only  two  revolvers,  but  Anderson's  gun,  a  Spen- 
cer ritle,  had  been  thrown  out  with  him,  and  he  picked  it 
up  and  took  it  into  the  bushes. 

"  In  a  few  moments  the  Indians  came  up,  riding  very 
fast,  and  the  main  body  crossed  the  ravine  near  where 
Captain  Mitchell  lay.  Some  of  them  jumped  their  horses 
directly  over  the  spot  where  he  was  concealed,  but  in  a 
few  moments  they  were  gone,  and  soon  had  disappeared 
behind  the  neighbouring  divide,  leaving  the  Captain  and 
Anderson  to  their  own  reflections.  What  to  do  was  the 
next  question.  That  the  Indians  would  overtake  the 
ambulance,  kill  all  its  occupants,  and  return,  the  Captain 
had  not  a  doubt.  He  determined  to  go  down  the  ravine, 
and,  calling  Anderson  to  follow,  started  off.  He  had 
already  crawled  some  distance  when,  hearing  the  clatter 
of  horses'  hoofs,  he  peeped  over  the  edge  of  his  cover,  and 
saw  about  seventy-five  Indians  riding  directly  up  to  where 
he  was  concealed.  Giving  himself  up  for  lost,  he  lay 
down,  drawing  his  revolvers  and  preparing  them  for 
action,  for  he  was  determined  not  to  let  the  savages  have 
his  scalp  without  making  a  desperate  resistance.  The 
warriors  came  up,  and,  dismounting  within  thirty  yards 


872  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

of  him,  began  a  lively  conversation.  The  cliief  walked 
up  close  to  the  brink  of  the  ravine,  and  almost  within 
ariu's-len<^tli  of  the  Captain,  and  stood  gazing  on  the 
gronnd.  Mitchell  now  saw  the  chief  Avas  blind  of  an  eve 
and  wore  a  spotted  head-dress ;  and  he  knew  b}-  these 
marks  he  was  none  other  than  the  celebrated  Sioux  Avar- 
rior,  Spotted  Tail.  ( )ii  making  this  discovery  the  Captain 
levelled  both  his  revolvers  at  the  chief's  breast,  and  was 
fully  determin6d  to  fire.  He  believed  that  the  loss  of 
five  captains  would  be  a  small  matter,  if  by  their  death 
they  could  secure  the  destruction  of  the  great  leader  of 
the  Sioux.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  pull  the  triggers  a 
loud  shout  from  the  warriors  caused  Spotted  Tail  to  start 
forward  and  run  rapidly  up  the  hill.  The  ponies  were 
led  down  the  ravine  and  the  warriors  scattered  in  all 
directions,  seeking  cover.  One  of  them  ensconced  him- 
self in  the  ravine  not  more  than  thirty  feet  from  Mitchell. 
Raising  his  head  so  that  he  could  see  out,  the  Captain 
endeavoured  to  ascertain  what  caused  all  the  excitement 
among  the  Indians.  At  first  he  had  thought  he  was  dis- 
covered, then  that  reenforcements  from  the  fort  had 
arrived,  and  a  battle  was  about  to  begin;  but  now  he 
saw  Anderson  was  discovered.  When  the  Captain  had 
started  down  the  ravine  Anderson  had  followed  him,  and 
just  emerged  from  the  bushes  when  the  Indians  suddenly 
came  up.  He  had  dropped  on  the  ground,  and  endeavoured 
to  roll  himself  back  among  the  sage-brush,  when  an  Ind- 
ian saw  him  and  gave  the  alarm.  Tlie  warriors,  not 
knowing  how' many  white  men  might  be  in  the  brush, 
with  their  usual  caution,  had  immediately  sought  cover. 
"  A  hot  fire  was  opened  on  Anderson's  position,  and  at 
first  he  did  not  respond  at  all.  A  warrior,  more  bold  than 
discreet,  ventured  to  go  closer  to  the  bushes,  when  a  small 
puff  of  white  smoke  was  seen  to  rise,  a  loud  report  rang 
out  on  the  air,  and  the  warrior  fell,  pierced  through  the 


SIOUX   WAR   OF    1863  373 

heart.  A  yell  of  rage  resounded  over  the  hills,  and  three 
more  Indians  ran  toward  Anderson's  cover.  Three  re- 
ports followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession,  and  the 
three  Indians  bit  the  dust.  There  Avas  now  a  general 
charge  on  Anderson,  but  he  fired  so  fast  and  true  that  the 
Indians  fell  back,  carrying  with  them  two  more  of  their 
number. 

"  The  Captain  now  felt  it  his  duty  to  help  Anderson, 
and  was  about  to  open  fire  with  his  revolvers,  w^hen  An- 
derson, who,  no  doubt,  expected  as  much,  yelled  three  or 
four  times,  saying  in  a  sort  of  a  cry,  '  My  arm  is  broken  ; 
keep  quiet  ;  can't  work  the  Spencer  any  more.'  The 
brave  fellow  no  doubt  intended  this  as  a  warning  to  the 
Captain  not  to  discover  himself  by  firing,  and  he  reluc- 
tantly accepted  the  admonition  and  kept  quiet. 

"A  rush  by  some  thirty  warriors  was  now  made  on 
Anderson,  and,  notwithstanding  his  disabled  condition,  he 
managed  to  kill  three  more  Indians  before  he  was  taken. 
He  was  overpowered,  however,  dragged  out  of  the  bushes, 
and  scalped  in  full  sight  of  the  CajDtain.  He  fought  to 
the  last,  and  compelled  them  to  kill  him  to  save  their  own 
lives.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  rage  of  the  Indians, 
and  especially  old  Spotted  Tail,  as  he  saw  the  body  of 
warrior  after  warrior  carried  down  the  hill,  until  nine 
dead  Indians  were  laid  beside  Anderson.  In  his  grief 
for  the  loss  of  his  braves,  the  old  chief  kicked  the  corpse 
of  poor  Anderson,  and  the  other  Indians  came  up  and 
mutilated  it  horribly. 

"  In  a  few  minutes  after  the  death  of  Anderson,  a 
mounted  party  was  seen  coming  over  the  hills,  and  about 
thirty  warriors  rode  up  to  Spotted  Tail,  and  reported  that 
they  had  captured  the  ambulance  and  killed  all  who  were 
in  it.  They  exhibited  to  Spotted  Tail  the  scalps  of  all 
Captain  Mitchell's  late  companions,  except  that  of  Cra- 
mer.    The    ambulance   horses    were    brought  back,  each 


374  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

carrying  what  is  known  '  down  East '  as  a  '  noble  red 
man.' 

"  In  a  few  moments  the  warriors  had  their  dead  com- 
rades securely  strapped  to  ponies,  and,  mounting  their 
own,  set  out  toward  the  Republican.  As  soon  as  they 
were  out  of  sight,  and  it  became  dark,  Captain  Mitchell 
started  for  the  camp,  where  he  arrived  about  ten  o'clock, 
and  told  the  story  of  the  'Cottonwood  Massacre,'  as  I 
have  here  related  it. 

"  Early  the  next  morning  I  was  sent  out  with  a  large 
force  to  pursue  and,  if  possible,  overtake  and  punish  the 
Indians.  For  two  days  I  followed  them  hard,  and,  on 
the  evening  of  the  second  day,  came  upon  a  small  party 
as  they  were  crossing  a  stream,  but  in  attempting  to 
charge  them,  they  scattered  over  the  prairie  and  were 
soon  lost  in  the  darkness.  The  trail  now  divided  in 
every  direction,  and  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
follow  it  unless  each  soldier  had  pursued  some  half  a 
dozen  warriors,  when  it  is  not  likely  he  would  have  re- 
turned. So  we  turned  back,  and  marched  for  Cotton- 
wood. The  bodies  of  the  dead  had  been  brought  in  and 
buried,  and  everything  had  been  found  as  Captain 
Mitchell  had  stated. 

"  Private  Wise  was  severely  censured  for  not  immedi- 
ately going  to  camp  and  giving  the  alarm,  but  he  said  he 
had  no  idea  the  wagon  and  its  sick  men  had  ever  left  the 
cafion,  for  there  were  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  war- 
riors around  it  when  he  came  away,  so  he  thought  he 
might  as  well  rest  until  morning  before  bearing  such  dis- 
mal news  as  he  had  to  communicate  to  his  fellow-soldiers." 

In  1867  nearly  all  the  Plains  tribes  of  Indians  evinced 
a  sullen  disposition,  and  the  indications  were  that  the 
country  was  on  the  eve  of  a  prolonged  savage  war.  The 
cause  of  this,  perhaps,  might  well  be  attributed  to  the 
encroachments   by  the   whites,  upon  the   great  hunting- 


SIOUX   WAR   OF    1863 


875 


grounds  of  the  tribes.  The  transcontinental  lines  of  rail- 
way were  nearly  completed  and  in  their  wake  followed  an 
immigration  from  the  Eastern  states,  unprecedented  in 
the  history  of  the  nation.  President  Andrew  Johnson 
appointed  a  Peace  Commission,  composed  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  country,  both 
military  and  civil.     Their  duty  was  to  visit  the  various 


Mdn  dfrdid  ofhb  fiorJCJ- 


chiefs,  and  endeavour  to  make  such  treaties  with  them  as 
would  ensure  permanent  peace.  History  shows  that  so 
far  as  the  object  for  which  it  was  created  is  concerned,  it 
was  a  stupendous  farce.  Let  it  be  understood,  however, 
that  the  failure  to  accomplish  the  work  intended,  was 
through  no  fault  of  the  Commission.  The  fault  lies  with 
Congress  which  neglected  to  make  the  necessary  appro- 
priations to  carry  out  the  stipulations  of  the  treaties.  On 
account  of  this  broken  faith  on  the  part  of  the  govern- 


376 


THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 


ment  there  occurred  a  series  of  massacres,  and  a  prolonged 
war,  which  cost  millions  of  dollars.^ 

One  of  the  stipulations  on  the  part  of  the  Commission 
was  that  the  Sioux,  Arapahoes,  and  Cheyennes  were  to 
surrender  that  portion  of  their  country  along  the  Big 
Horn  ^Mountains  and  territory  tributary  to  thein.  The 
Man  afraid  of  his  Horses  and  Red  Cloud  were  very  de- 
termined in  their  opposition, 
and  Red  Cloud  with  his  entire 
band  withdrew,  shortly  after 
commencing  his  work  of  mis- 
chief. It  is  a  fact  that  so  in- 
dignant and  enraged  were  the 
Indians  at  the  idea  of  the  gov- 
ernment depriving  them  of  their 
favourite  hunting-grounds,  that 
a  messenger,  sent  out  to  induce 
the  chiefs  to  come  in,  was  badly 
whipped,  insulted,  and  ordered 
to  go  back  to  where  he  came 
from. 

Old  Major  Bridger,  the  cele- 
brated scout,  and  Jack  Stead,^ 
the  interpreter  of  the  Commis- 
sion, had  no  faith  in  the  propositions  of  some  of  the  chiefs, 
notably  Black  Horse,  who  agreed  to  accept  the  proposition 
of  the  Commission  and  ally  themselves  with  the  whites. 
These  chiefs  were  the  representatives  of  over  a  liundred 

1  The  Southern  Cheyennes,  Kiowas,  and  Arapahoes  waged  an  unrelent- 
ing war  alons  the  whole  line  of  the  border  from  Nebraska  to  Texas,  under 
the  leadership  of  the  dreaded  Sa-tan-ta. 

2  Jack  Stead  was  a  runaway  sailor  boy.  He  was  on  the  Peacock  when 
it  was  wrecked  years  ago  near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River.  He 
lived  for  years  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  was  the  first  man  to  report 
to  the  United  States  governniont  the  Mormon  preparations  to  resist  it. 
He  had  a  Cheyenne  wife,  was  a  good  story-teller,  and  loved  whiskey. 


/^cdOoud 


SIOUX  WAR   OF  1863  377 

lodges  ;  they  had  been  out  on  a  hunt  when  they  met  Red 
Cloud  who  stated  to  them  that  they  must  join  the  Sioux 
and  drive  the  white  man  back.  To  their  honour  be  it  said, 
these  chiefs  kept  their  word  and  fulfilled  to  the  letter  the 
pledges  to  keep  the  peace  which  they  had  given  the 
Commission. 

Following  the  so-called  treaty  a  series  of  depredations 
was  made  by  discontented  bands  of  Indians,  and  culmi- 
nated in  the  massacre  of  troops  near  Fort  Phil  Kearny. 
T«he  following  account  of  this  fight  is  taken  from  Senate 
Document  No.  13,  1867:  — 

"  On  the  morning  of  December  21  the  picket  at  the 
signal  station  signalled  to  the  fort  that  the  wood  train  was 
attacked  by  the  Indians,  and  corralled,  and  the  escort  fight- 
ing. This  was  not  far  from  11  o'clock  A.M.,  and  the  train 
was  about  two  miles  from  the  fort,  and  moving  toward 
the  timber.  Almost  immediately  a  few  Indian  pickets 
appeared  on  one  or  two  of  the  surrounding  heights,  and 
a  party  of  about  twenty  near  the  Big  Piney,  where  the 
mountain  road  crossed  the  same,  within  howitzer  range  of 
the  fort.  Shells  were  thrown  among  them  from  the  artil- 
lery in  the  fort,  and  they  fled. 

"The  following  detail,  viz.,  fifty  men  and  two  officers 
from  the  four  different  infantry  companies,  and  twenty- 
six  cavalrymen  and  one  officer,  was  made  by  Colonel 
Carrington.  The  entire  force  formed  in  good  order,  and 
was  placed  under  command  of  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Fetterman,  who  received  the  following  orders  from  Colonel 
Carrington  :  '  Support  the  wood  train,  relieve  it,  and  re- 
port to  me.  Do  not  engage  or  pursue  Indians  at  its 
expense  ;  under  no  circumstances  pursue  over  Lodge  Trail 
Ridge.'  These  instructions  were  repeated  by  Colonel 
Carrington  in  a  loud  voice,  to  the  command  when  in 
motion,  and  outside  the  fort,  and  again  delivered  in  sub- 
stance through  Lieutenant  Wands,  officer  of  the  day,  to 


378  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Lieutenant  Grumniond,  who  was  requested  to  communi- 
cate them  again  to  Colonel  Fetterman. 

"  Colonel  Fetterman  moved  out  rapidly  to  the  right 
of  the  wood  road,  for  the  purpose,  no  doubt,  of  cutting 
off  the  retreat  of  the  Indians  then  attacking  the  train. 
As  he  advanced  across  the  Piney,  a  few  Indians  appeared 
in  his  front  and  on  his  flanks,  and  continued  flitting  about 
him,  beyond  rifle  range,  till  they  disappeared  beyond 
Lodge  Trail  Ridge.  When  he  was  on  Lodge  Trail  Ridge, 
the  picket  signalled  the  fort  that  the  Indians  had  retreated 
from  the  train  ;  the  train  had  broken  corral  and  moved 
on  toward  the  timber.  The  train  made  the  round  trip, 
and  was  not  again  disturbed  that  day. 

"At  about  fifteen  minutes  before  twelve  o'clock.  Colonel 
Fetterman's  command  had  reached  the  crest  of  Lodge 
Trail  Ridge,  was  deployed  as  skirmishers,  and  at  a  halt. 
Without  regard  to  orders,  for  reasons  that  the  silence  of 
Colonel  Fetterman  now  prevents  us  from  giving,  he,  with 
the  command,  in  a  few  moments  disappeared,  having 
cleared  the  ridge,  still  moving  north.  Firing  at  once 
commenced,  and  increased  in  rapidity  till,  in  about  fifteen 
minutes  and  at  about  12  o'clock  m.,  it  was  a  continuous 
and  rapid  fire  of  musketry,  plainly  audible  at  the  fort. 
Assistant  Surgeon  Hines,  having  been  ordered  to  join 
Fetterman,  found  Indians  on  a  part  of  Lodge  Trail  Ridge 
not  visible  from  the  fort,  and  could  not  reach  the  force 
there  struggling  to  preserve  its  existence.  As  soon  as 
the  firing  became  rapid  Colonel  Carrington  ordered  Cap- 
tain Ten  Eyck,  with  about  seventy-six  men,  being  all  the 
men  for  duty  in  the  fort,  and  two  wagons  with  ammuni- 
tion, to  join  Colonel  Fetterman  immediately.  He  moved 
out  and  advanced  rapidly  toward  the  point  from  which 
the  sound  of  firing  proceeded,  but  did  not  move  by  so 
short  a  route  as  he  might  have  done.  The  sound  of  firing 
continued  to  be  heard   during  his  advance,  diminishing 


SIOUX   WAR   OF   1863  379 

in  rapidity  and  number  of  shots  till  he  reached  a  high 
summit  overlooking  the  battle-field,  at  about  a  quarter 
before  one  o'clock,  when  one  or  two  shots  closed  all  sound 
of  conflict. 

"  Whether  he  could  have  reached  the  scene  of  action 
by  marching  over  the  shortest  route  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible in  time  to  have  relieved  Colonel  Fetterman's  com- 
mand, I  am  unable  to  determine. 

"  Immediately  after  Captain  Ten  Eyck  moved  out,  and 
by  orders  of  Colonel  Carrington  issued  at  the  same  time 
as  the  orders  detailing  that  officer  to  join  Colonel  Fetter- 
man,  the  quartermaster's  employees,  convalescents,  and 
all  others  in  the  garrison,  were  armed  and  provided  with 
ammunition,  and  held  in  readiness  to  reenforce  the  troops 
fighting,  or  defend  the  garrison. 

"  Captain  Ten  Eyck  reported,  as  soon  as  he  reached  a 
summit  commanding  a  view  of  the  battle-field,  that  the 
Peno  Valley  was  full  of  Indians  ;  that  he  could  see  noth- 
ing of  Colonel  Fetterman's  party,  and  requested  that  a 
howitzer  should  be  sent  him.  The  howitzer  was  not  sent. 
The  Indians,  who  at  first  beckoned  him  to  come  down,  now 
commenced  retreating,  and  Captain  Ten  Eyck,  advancing 
to  a  point  where  the  Indians  had  been  standing  in  a  circle, 
found  the  dead  naked  bodies  of  Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Fetterman,  Captain  Brown,  and  about  sixty-five  of  the 
soldiers  of  their  command.  At  this  point  there  were  no 
indications  of  a  severe  struggle.  All  the  bodies  lay  in  a 
space  not  exceeding  thirty- five  feet  in  diameter.  No 
empty  cartridge  shells  were  lying  about,  and  there  were 
some  full  cartridges.  A  few  American  horses  lay  dead  a 
short  distance  off,  all  with  their  heads  toward  the  fort. 
This  spot  was  by  the  roadside,  and  beyond  the  summit  of 
the  hill  rising  to  the  east  of  Peno  Creek.  The  road,  after 
risinsr  this  hill,  follows  this  rido-e  alono'  for  about  half  or 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  and  then  descends  abruptly  to 


380  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

Peiio  Creek.  At  about  half  the  distance  from  where  these 
bodies  lay  to  the  point  where  the  road  commences  to  de- 
scend to  Peno  Creek  was  the  dead  body  of  Lieutenant 
Grummond  ;  and  still  farther  on,  at  the  point  where  the 
road  commences  to  descend  to  Peno  Creek,  were  the  dead 
bodies  of  the  three  citizens  and  four  or  five  of  the  old, 
long-tried,  and  experienced  soldiers.  A  great  number  of 
empty  cartridge  shells  were  on  the  ground  at  this  point, 
and  more  than  fifty  lying  on  the  ground  about  one  of  the 
dead  citizens,  who  used  a  Henry  rifle.  Within  a  few 
hundred  yards  in  front  of  this  position  ten  Indian  ponies 
lay  dead,  and  there  were  sixty-five  pools  of  dark  and  clotted 
blood.  No  Indian  ponies  or  pools  of  blood  were  found 
at  any  other  point.  Our  conclusion,  therefore,  is  that  the 
Indians  were  massed  to  resist  Colonel  Fetterman's  advance 
along  Peno  Creek  on  both  sides  of  the  road  ;  that  Colonel 
Fetterman  formed  his  advanced  lines  on  the  summit  of 
the  hill  overlooking  the  creek  and  valley,  with  a  reserve 
near  where  the  large  number  of  dead  bodies  lay  ;  that 
the  Indians,  in  force  of  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  hundred 
warriors,  attacked  him  vigorously  in  this  position,  and 
were  successfully  resisted  by  him  for  half  an  hour  or 
more  ;  that  the  command  then  being  short  of  ammunition, 
and  seized  with  panic  at  this  event  and  the  great  numeri- 
cal superiority  of  the  Indians,  attempted  to  retreat  toward 
the  fort ;  that  the  mountaineers  and  old  soldiers,  who  had 
learned  that  a  movement  from  Indians,  in  an  engagement, 
was  equivalent  to  death,  remained  in  their  first  position, 
and  were  killed  there  ;  that  immediately  upon  the  com- 
mencement of  the  retreat  the  Indians  cliarged  upon  and 
surrounded  the  party,  who  could  not  now  be  formed  by 
their  officers,  and  were  immediately  killed.  Only  six  men 
of  the  whole  command  were  killed  by  balls,  and  two  of 
these,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Fetterman  and  Captain  Brown, 
no  doubt  inflicted  tins  death  upon  themselves,  or  each 


SIOUX   WAR   OF    18G3 


381 


other,  by  their  own  hands,  for  both  were  shot  through 
the  left  temple,  and  powder  burnt  into  tlie  skin  and 
flesh  about  the  wound.  These  officers  had  also  often- 
times asserted  that  they  would  not  be  taken  alive  by 
Indians. 

"  In  the  critical  examination  we  have  j^iven  this  painful 
and  horrible  affair,  we  do  not  find  of  the  immediate  par- 
ticipants any  officer  living  deserving  of  censure  ;  and, 
even  if  evidence  justifies  it,  it  would  ill  become  us  to 
speak  evil  of  or  censure  those  dead  who  sacrificed  life 
struggling  to  maintain  the  authority  and  power  of 
the  government  and  add  new  lustre  to  our  arms  and 
fame.   ... 

"  The  difficulty,  in  a  '  nutshell,'  was  that  the  command- 
ing officer  of  the  district  was  furnished  no  more  troops  or 
supplies  for  this  state  of  war  than  had  been  provided  and 
furnished  him  for  a  state  of  profound  peace." 


Adr<?/7?/e  PcdA, 


CHAPTER   XVI 


BUFFALO   bill's*    ADVEXTURES  OX    THE    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL IN 

CHARGE  OF  A  HERD  OF    BEEF    CATTLE  - —  KILLS    AX    IXDIAX 

WITH     LEW     SIMPSOX HELD      UP ATTACKED      AT      CEDAR 

BLUFFS A  BRUSH  WITH   SIOUX THE  PRIXT  OF  A  WOMAX's 

SHOE CAPTURE    A  VILLAGE BUFFALO    BILL    SHOOTS    TALL 

BULL 


C)u/Td/o 


N"  May,  1857, 1  started 
for  Salt  Lake  City 
Avitli  a  herd  of  beef 
cattle,  in  charge  of 
Frank  and  Bill 
McCarthy,  for  Gen- 
eral Albert  Sidney 
Johnston's      army,     which 
was  then  being  sent  across 
the  plains  to  fight  the  Mor- 
mons. 

"  Nothing  occurred  to  in- 
terrupt our  journe}^  until 
we  reached  Plum  Creek,  on 
the  South  Platte  River,  thirty-five  miles  Avest  of  old  Fort 
Kearny.  We  had  made  a  morning  drive  and  had  camped 
for  dinner.  The  wagon-masters  and  a  majority  of  the 
men  had  gone  to  sleep  under  the  mess  wagons  ;  the  cattle 

1  William  Frederick  Cody  ("Buffalo  Bill"),  the  scout,  guide,  and 
Indian  fighter,  was  born  on  the  26th  of  February,  1846,  in  a  primitive 
log-cabin  in  the  backwoods  of  Iowa.  In  1852,  the  family  removed  to 
Kansas,   where  the  father  of  young  Cody,  two  years  later,  became  a 

382 


BUFFALO   bill's   ADVENTURES  383 

were  being  giuirded  by  tJiree  men,  unci  the  cook  was  pre- 
paring dinner.  No  one  had  any  idea  that  Indians  were 
anywhere  near  us.  The  first  warning  we  had  that  they 
were  infesting  that  part  of  the  country  was  the  firing  of 
shots,  and  the  whoops  and  yells  from  a  party  of  them,  who, 
catching  us  napping,  gave  us  a  most  unwelcome  surprise. 
All  the  men  jumped  to  their  feet  and  seized  their  guns. 
They  saw  with  astonishment  the  cattle  running  in  every 
direction,  stampeded  by  the  Indians,  who  had  shot  and 
killed  the  three  men  who  were  on  day-herd  duty;  and  the 
red  devils  were  now  charging  down  upon  the  rest  of  us. 

"I  then  thought  of  mother's  fears  of  my  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  Indians,  and  I  had  about  made  up  my 
mind  that  such  was  to  be  my  fate  ;  but  when  I  saw  how 
coolly  and  determinedly  the  McCarthy  brothers  were  con- 
ducting themselves  and  giving  orders  to  the  little  band, 
I  became  convinced  that  we  would  '  stand  the  Indians 
off,'  as  the  saying  is.  Our  men  were  all  well  armed  with 
Colt's  revolvers  and  Mississippi  yagers,  which  last  carried 
a  bullet  and  two  buckshot. 

"  The  McCarthy  boys,  at  the  proper  moment,  gave 
orders  to  fire  upon  the  advancing  enemy.  The  volley 
checked  them,  although  they  returned  the  compliment,  and 
shot  one  of  our  party  through  the  leg.  Frank  jNIcCarthy 
then  sang  out,  '  Boys,  make  a  break  for  tlie  slough  yonder, 
and  we  can  have  the  bank  for  a  breastwork.' 

'"'■  We  made  a  run  for  the  slough,  which  was  only  a  short 
distance  off,  and  succeeded  in  safely  reaching  it,  bringing 
with  us  the  wounded    man.     The   bank  proved  to  be  a 

martyr  to  the  Free  State  cause.  From  the  moment  the  family  was  thus 
deprived  of  its  support,  the  only  boy,  though  a  mei'e  child,  at  the  age  of 
nine  years,  commenced  his  career.  As  a  collaborator  in  the  preparation 
of  this  work,  he  has  been  prevailed  upon  to  relate  all  the  incidents  of 
his  life,  so  far  as  they  are  confined  to  the  region  of  which  this  volume 
treats.  For  his  further  adventures  in  the  Arkansas  Valley  and  south  of 
it,  see  The  Old  Santa  Fe  Trail. 


384  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TllAIL 

very  effective  breastwork,  affording  us  good  protection. 
We  had  been  there  but  a  short  time  when  Frank 
McCarthy,  seeing  that  the  longer  we  were  corralled  the 
worse  it  would  be  for  us,  said  : — 

'' '  Well,  boys,  well  try  to  make  our  way  back  to  Fort 
Kearny  by  wading  in  the  river  and  keeping  the  bank  for 
a  breastwork.'  " 

"We  all  agreed  that  this  was  the  bast  plan,  and  we 
accordingly  proceeded  down  the  river  several  miles  in 
this  way,  managing  to  keep  the  Indians  at  a  safe  distance 
with  our  guns,  until  the  slough  made  a  junction  with 
the  main  Platte  River.  From  there  down,  we  found  the 
river  at  times  quite  deep ;  and  in  order  to  carry  the 
wounded  man  along  with  us,  Ave  constructed  a  raft  of 
poles  for  his  accommodation,  and  in  this  way  he  was  trans- 
ported. 

"  Occasionally  the  water  would  be  too  deep  for  us  to 
wade,  and  we  were  obliged  to  put  our  weapons  on  the 
raft  and  swim.  The  Indians  followed  us  pretty  close, 
and  were  continually  watching  for  an  opportunity  to 
get  a  good  range  and  give  us  a  raking  fire.  Covering 
ourselves  by  keeping  well  under  the  bank,  we  pushed 
ahead  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  made  pretty  good  prog- 
ress, the  night  finding  us  still  on  the  way  and  our  enemies 
yet  on  our  track. 

"  I,  being  the  youngest  and  smallest  of  the  party,  be- 
came somewhat  tired,  and  without  noticing  it  I  had 
fallen  behind  the  others  for  some  little  distance.  It  was 
about  ten  o'clock  and  we  were  keeping  very  quiet  and 
hugging  close  to  the  bank,  when  I  happened  to  look  up 
to  the  moonlit  sky  and  saw  the  plumed  head  of  an 
Indian  peeping  over  the  bank.  Instead  of  hurrying 
ahead  and  alarming  the  men  in  a  quiet  way,  I  instantly 
aimed  my  gun  at  his  head  and  fired.  The  report  rang  out 
sharp  and  loud  on  the  night   air,  and  was    immediately 


BUFFALO   BILL'S   ADVENTURES  385 

followed  by  lui  Iiuliau  whoop;  and  tlie  next  moment  about 
six  feet  of  dead  Indian  came  tumbling  into  the  river.  I 
was  not  only  overcome  with  astonishment,  but  was  badly 
scared,  as  I  could  hardly  realize  what  I  had  done.  1 
expected  to  see  the  whole  force  of  Indians  come  down 
upon  us.  "While  I  was  standing  thus  bewildered,  the 
men  who  had  heard  the  shot  and  the  war-whoop  and  had 
seen  the  Indian  take  a  tumble,  came  rushing  back. 

"  '  Who  fired  that  shot  ?  '  cried  Frank  McCarthy. 

" '  I  did,'  replied  I,  rather  proudly,  as  my  confidence 
returned  and  I  saw  the  men  coming  up. 

'"' '  Yes,  and  little  Billy  has  killed  an  Indian  stone-dead 
—  too  dead  to  skin,'  said  one  of  the  men,  who  had  ajj- 
proached  nearer  than  the  rest,  and  had  almost  stumbled 
over  the  corpse.  From  that  time  forward  I  became  a 
hero  and  an  Indian  killer.  This  was,  of  course,  the  first 
Indian  I  had  ever  shot,  and  as  I  was  then  not  more  than 
eleven  years  of  age,  my  exploit  created  quite  a  sensation. 

"The  other  Indians,  upon  learning  what  had  happened 
to  their  advance,  fired  several  shots  without  effect,  but 
which  hastened  our  retreat  down  the  river.  We  reached 
Fort  Kearny  just  as  the  reveille  was  being  sounded, 
bringing  the  wounded  man  Avith  us.  After  the  j)eril 
through  which  we  had  passed,  it  was  a  relief  to  feel  that 
once  more  I  was  safe  after  such  a  dangerous  initiation. 

"Frank  McCarthy  immediately  reported  to  the  com- 
manding officer  and  informed  him  of  all  that  had  hap- 
pened. The  commandant  at  once  ordered  a  comj)any  of 
cavalry  and  one  of  infantry  to  proceed  to  Plum  Creek 
on  a  forced  march  —  taking  a  howitzer  with  them  —  to 
endeavour  to  recapture  the  cattle  from  the  Indians. 

"  The  firm  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell  had  a  division 

agent  at  Kearny,  and  this  agent    mounted  us  on  mules 

so  that  we  could  accompany  the  troops.     On  reaching  the 

place  where  the  Indians  had  surprised  us,  v/e  found  the 

2c 


386  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

bodies  of  the  three  men,  whom  they  had  killed  and  scalped 
and  literally  cut  into  pieces.  We,  of  course,  buried  the 
remains.  We  caught  but  few  of  the  cattle ;  the  most  of 
them  had  been  driven  off  and  stampeded  with  the  buffa- 
loes, there  being  numerous  immense  herds  of  the  latter 
in  that  section  of  the  country  at  the  time.  The  Indians' 
trail  was  discovered  running  South  toward  the  Republi- 
can River,  and  the  troops  followed  it  to  the  head  of  Plum 
Creek,  and  there  abandoned  it,  returning  to  Fort  Kearny 
without  having  seen  a  single  redskin. 

"  The  company's  agent,  seeing  that  there  was  no  fur- 
ther use  for  us  in  that  vicinity  —  as  we  had  lost  our  cattle 
and  mules  —  sent  us  back  to  Fort  Leavenworth.  The 
company,  it  is  proper  to  state,  did  not  have  to  stand  the 
loss  of  the  expedition,  as  the  government  held  itself 
responsible  for  such  depredations  by  the  Indians. 

^  On  the  day  that  I  got  into  Leavenworth,  sometime 
in  July,  I  was  interviewed  for  the  first  time  in  my  life 
by  a  newspaper  reporter,  and  the  next  morning  I  found 
my  name  in  print  as  'the  youngest  Indian  slayer  on  the 
plains.'  I  am  candid  enough  to  admit  that  I  felt  very 
much  elated  over  this  notoriet}^  Again  and  again  I  read 
with  eager  interest  the  long  and  sensational  account  of 
our  adventure.  My  exploit  was  related  in  a  very  graphic 
manner,  and  for  a  long  time  afterward  I  was  considerable 
of  a  hero.  The  reporter  who  had  thus  set  me  up,  as  I 
then  thought,  on  the  highest  pinnacle  of  fame,  was  John 
Hutchinson,  and  I  felt  very  grateful  to  him.  He  now 
lives  in  Wichita,  Kansas. 

"  In  the  following  summer,  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell 
entered  upon  a  contract  with  the  Government  for  trans- 
porting supplies  for  General  Albert  Sidney  Johnston's 
army  that  was  sent  against  the  Mormons.  A  large  num- 
ber of  teams  and  teamsters  were  required  for  this  purpose, 
and  as  the  route  was  considered  a  dangerous  one,  men 


;a,! 


\  :^v  ■      V'V 


tr^^-i?  '^^L.* 


■Broncho  Busting. 


BUFFALO   bill's    ADVENTURES  387 

were  not  easily  engaged  for  the  service,  though  the  pay 
was  forty  dolhirs  u  month  in  gold.  An  old  wagon- 
master  named  Lew  Simpson,  one  of  the  best  who  ever 
commanded  a  bull-train,  was  upon  the  point  of  starting 
with  about  ten  wagons  for  the  company,  direct  for  Salt 
Lake,  and  as  he  had  known  me  for  some  time  as  an 
ambitious  youth,  requested  me  to  accompany  him  as  an 
extra  hand.  My  duties  would  be  liglit,  and  in  fact  I 
would  have  nothing  to  do,  unless  some  one  of  the  drivers 
should  become  sick,  in  which  case  I  should  be  required 
to  take  his  place.  But  even  more  seductive  than  this 
Avas  the  promise  that  I  should  be  provided  with  a  mule 
of  my  own  to  ride,  and  be  subject  to  the  orders  of  no  one 
save  Simpson  himself. 

"  The  offer  was  made  in  such  a  mariner  that  I  became 
at  once  wild  to  go,  but  my  mother  interposed  an  emphatic 
objection  and  urged  me  to  abandon  so  reckless  a  desire. 
She  reminded  me  that  in  audition  to  the  fact  that  the  trip 
would  possibly  occupy  a  year,  the  journey  was  one  of 
extreme  peril,  beset  as  it  was  by  Mormon  assassins  and 
treacherous  Lidians,  and  begged  me  to  accept  the  lesson 
of  my  last  experience  and  narrow  escape  as  a  providential 
warning.  But  to  her  pleadings  and  remonstrances  I 
returned  the  answer  that  I  had  determined  to  follow  the 
plains  as  an  occupation,  and  while  I  appreciated  her 
advice,  and  desired  greatly  to  honour  her  commands,  yet 
I  could  not  forego  my  determination  to  accompany  the 
train. 

"  Seeing  that  it  Avas  impossible  to  keep  me  at  home,  she 
reluctantly  gave  her  consent,  but  not  until  she  had  called 
upon  Mr.  Russell  and  ]\Ir.  Simpson  in  regard  to  the 
matter,  and  had  obtained  from  the  latter  gentleman  his 
promise  that  I  should  be  well  taken  care  of,  if  we  had 
to  winter  in  the  mountains.  She  did  not  like  the  appear- 
ance of  Simpson,  and   upon  inquiry  she  learned,  to  her 


388  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

dismay,  that  he  was  a  desperate  character,  and  that  on 
nearly  every  trip  he  had  made  across  the  plains  he  had 
killed  some  one.  Such  a  man,  she  thought,  was  not  a  lit 
master  or  companion  for  her  son,  and  she  was  very 
anxious  to  have  me  go,  with  some  other  wagon-master; 
but  I  still  insisted  on  remaining  with  Sinijoson. 

"'Madam,  I  can  assure  j'ou  tliat  Lew  Simpson  is  one 
of  the  most  reliable  wagon-masters  on  the  plains,'  said 
Mr.  Russell,  '  and  he  has  taken  a  great  fancy  to  Billy. 
If  your  boy  is  bound  to  go,  he  can  go  with  no  better 
man.  No  one  will  dare  to  impose  ou  him  while  he  is 
with  Lew  Simpson,  whom  I  will  instruct  to  take  good 
care  of  the  boy.  Upon  reaching  Fort  Laramie,  Billy  can, 
if  he  wishes,  exchange  places  with  some  fresh  man  coming 
back  on  a  returning  train,  and  thus  come  home  without 
making  the  whole  trip.' 

"  This  seemed  to  satisfy  mother,  and  then  she  had  a 
long  talk  with  Simpson  himself,  imploring  him  not  to 
forget  his  promise  to  take  good  care  of  her  precious  boy. 
He  promised  everything  that  she  asked. 

"  Thus,  after  much  trouble,  I  became  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  Simpson's  train.  Before  taking  our  departure,  I 
arranged  with  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell  that  when  my 
pay  fell  due  it  should  be  paid  over  to  my  mother.  As  a 
matter  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  it  may  be  well 
in  this  connection  to  give  a  brief  description  of  a  freiglit 
train.  The  wagons  used  in  those  days  by  Russell,  Majors, 
&  Waddell  were  known  as  the  '  J.  ^lurphy  wagons,'  made 
at  St.  Louis  specially  for  the  plains  business.  They  were 
very  large  and  very  strongly  built,  being  capable  of  carry- 
ing seven  thousand  pounds  of  freight  each.  The  wagon- 
boxes  were  very  commodious  —  being  about  as  large  as 
the  rooms  of  an  ordinary  house  —  and  were  covered  with 
two  heavy  canvas  sheets  to  protect  the  merchandise  from 
the  rain.       These  wagons  were  generally  sent  out  from 


L     A     H 


O    ':M     A 


l'" 


Oi) 


98° 


1       TERRITORY      ; 


95° 


BUFFALO   bill's    ADVExNTUKES  389 

Leavenworth,  eacli  loaded  with  six  thousand  pounds  oi 
freight,  and  each  drawn  by  several  yokes  of  oxen  in 
charge  of  one  driver.  A  train  consisted  of  twenty-five 
wagons,  all  in  charge  of  one  man,  who  was  known  as  the 
waijon-master.  The  second  man  in  command  was  the 
assistant  wagon-master  ;  then  came  the  '  extra  hand,'  next 
the  night  herder  ;  and  lastly,  the  cavayard  driver,  whose 
dutv  it  was  to  drive  the  lame  and  loose  cattle.  There 
Avere  thirty-one  men  all  told  in  a  train.  The  men  did 
their  own  cooking,  being  divided  into  messes  of  seven. 
One  man  cooked,  another  brought  wood  and  water,  an- 
other stood  guard,  and  so  on,  —  each  having  some  duty 
to  perform  while  getting  meals.  All  were  heavily  armed 
with  Colt's  pistols  and  Mississippi  j^agers,  and  every  one 
always  had  his  weapons  handy  so  as  to  be  prepared  for 
any  emergency. 

"  The  wagon-master,  in  the  language  of  the  plains,  was 
called  the  '  bull- wagon  boss  ' ;  the  teamsters  were  known 
as  '  bull-whackers ' ;  and  the  whole  train  was  denominated 
a  'bull-outfit.'  Everything  at  that  time  was  called  an 
'outfit.'  The  men  of  the  plains  were  always  full  of  droll 
humour  and  exciting  stories  of  their  own  experiences,  and 
many  an  hour  I  spent  in  listening  to  the  recitals  of  thrill- 
ing adventures  and  hairbreadth  escapes. 

"  The  trail  to  Salt  Lake  ran  through  Kansas  north- 
westwardly, crossing  the  Big  Blue  River,  then  over  the 
Big  and  Little  Sandy,  coming  into  Nebraska  near  the  Big 
Sandy.  The  next  stream  of  any  importance  was  the 
Little  Blue,  along  which  the  trail  ran  for  sixty  miles; 
then  crossed  a  range  of  sand-hills,  and  struck  the  Platte 
River  ten  miles  below  old  Fort  Kearnv  ;  thence  the  course 
lay  up  the  South  Platte  to  the  old  Ash  Hollow  Crossing, 
thence  eighteen  miles  across  to  the  North  Platte,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Blue  Water,  where  General  Harney  had  his 
great  battle  in  1855  with  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  Ind- 


'TOI 


^m 


"Oil 


-^ 


-^ 


vA/ 


■  \  I- 


: -t= — ^8* 


M 


<J  \^  t 


J 


H      Vi       T    ;  U 


Jio  aiiT 


i "8« 


W     3 


T/fi 


\0l 


BUFFALO   bill's   ADVENTURES  389 

Leavenworth,  eacli  loaded  with  six  thousand  i)()unds  ol 
freight,  and  each  drawn  by  several  yokes  ot  cjxen  in 
charge  of  one  driver.  A  train  consisted  of  twenty-five 
wagons,  all  in  charge  of  one  man,  who  was  known  as  the 
wagon-master.  The  second  man  in  command  was  the 
assistant  wagon-master  ;  then  came  the  '  extra  hand,'  next 
the  night  herder  ;  and  lastly,  the  cavayard  driver,  whose 
dutv  it  Avas  to  drive  the  lame  and  loose  cattle.  There 
were  thirty-one  men  all  told  in  a  train.  The  men  did 
their  own  cooking,  being  divided  into  messes  of  seven. 
One  man  cooked,  another  brought  wood  and  water,  an- 
other stood  guard,  and  so  on,  —  each  having  some  dut}' 
to  perform  while  getting  meals.  All  were  heavily  armed 
Avith  Colt's  pistols  and  Mississippi  j^agers,  and  every  one 
always  had  his  weapons  handy  so  as  to  be  prepared  for 
any  emergency. 

''  The  wagon-master,  in  the  language  of  the  plains,  was 
called  the  '  bull-wagon  boss ' ;  the  teamsters  were  known 
as  '  bull-whackers ' ;  and  the  whole  train  was  denominated 
a  'bull-outfit.'  Everything  at  that  time  was  called  an 
'outfit.'  The  men  of  the  plains  were  always  full  of  droll 
humour  and  exciting  stories  of  their  own  experiences,  and 
many  an  hour  I  spent  in  listening  to  the  recitals  of  thrill- 
ing adventures  and  hairbreadth  escapes. 

"  The  trail  to  Salt  Lake  ran  through  Kansas  north- 
westwardly, crossing  the  Big  Blue  River,  then  over  the 
Big  and  Little  Sandy,  coming  into  Nebraska  near  the  Big 
Sandy.  The  next  stream  of  any  importance  was  the 
Little  Blue,  along  which  the  trail  ran  for  sixty  miles ; 
then  crossed  a  range  of  sand-hills,  and  struck  the  Platte 
River  ten  miles  below  old  Fort  Kearnv  ;  thence  the  course 
lay  up  the  South  Platte  to  the  old  Ash  Hollow  Crossing, 
thence  eighteen  miles  across  to  the  North  Platte,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Blue  Water,  where  General  Harney  had  his 
great  battle  in  1855  with  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  Ind- 


390  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ians.  From  this  point  the  North  PLatte  was  followed, 
passing  Court  House  Rock,  Chimney  Rock,  and  Scott's 
Bluffs,  and  then  on  to  Fort  Laramie,  where  the  Laramie 
River  was  crossed.  Still  following  the  North  Platte  for 
some  considerable  distance,  the  trail  crossed  the  river  at 
old  Richard's  Bridge,  and  followed  it  up  to  the  celebrated 
Red  Buttes,  crossing  the  Willow  Creeks  to  the  Sweet- 
water, passing  the  great  Independence  Rock  and  the 
Devil's  Gate,  up  to  the  Three  Crossings  of  the  Sweet- 
water, thence  past  the  Cold  Springs,  where,  three  feet 
under  the  sod,  on  the  hottest  day  of  summer,  ice  can  be 
found ;  thence  to  the  Hot  Springs  and  the  Rocky  Ridge, 
and  through  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Echo  Caiion,  and 
thence  on  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Valley. 

"  In  order  to  take  care  of  the  business  which  then  of- 
fered, the  freight  for  transportation  being  almost  exclu- 
sively government  provisions,  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell 
operated  thirty-five  hundred  wagons,  for  the  hauling  of 
which  they  used  forty  thousand  oxen,  and  gave  employ- 
ment to  four  thousand  men  ;  the  capital  invested  by  these 
three  freighters  was  nearly  two  million  dollars.  In  their 
operations,  involving  such  an  immense  sum  of  money,  and 
employing  a  class  of  labourers  incomparably  reckless,  some 
very  stringent  rules  were  adopted  by  them,  to  which  all 
their  employees  were  made  to  subscribe.     In  this  code  of 

discipline  was  the  following  obligation  :  'I, ,  do  hereby 

solemnly  swear,  before  the  Great  and  Living  God,  that  dur- 
ing my  engagement,  and  while  I  am  in  the  employ  of 
Russell,  Majors,-  &  Waddell,  that  I  will  under  no  circum- 
stances use  profane  language  ;  that  I  Avill  drink  no  intoxi- 
cating liquors  of  any  kind  ;  that  I  will  not  quarrel  or 
fight  with  any  other  employee  of  the  firm,  and  that  in  every 
respect  I  will  conduct  myself  honestly,  be  faithful  to  my 
duties,  and  so  direct  all  my  acts  as  will  win  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  my  employers,  so  help  me  God.' 


BUFFALO    BILT/s    ADVENTURES  391 

"  This  oath  was  the  creation  of  Mr.  Majors,  who  was  a 
very  pious  and  rigid  disciplinarian;  lie  tried  hard  to 
enforce  it,  but  how  great  was  his  failure  it  is  needless  to 
say.  It  would  have  been  equally  profitable  had  the  old 
gentleman  read  the  riot  act  to  a  herd  of  stampeded  buffa- 
loes.    And  he  believes  it  himself  now. 

"  The  next  day  we  rolled  out  of  camp  and  proceeded  on 
our  way  toward  the  setting  sun.  Everything  ran  along 
smoothly  with  us  from  that  point  until  we  came  within 
about  eighteen  miles  of  Green  River,  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains —  where  we  camj^ed  at  noon.  At  this  place  we  had 
to  drive  our  cattle  about  a  mile  and  a  half  to  a  creek  to 
w^ater  them.  Simpson,  his  assistant,  George  Woods,  and 
myself,  accompanied  by  the  usual  number  of  guards, 
drove  the  cattle  over  to  the  creek,  and  while  on  our  way 
back  to  camp  we  suddenly  observed  a  party  of  twenty 
horsemen  rapidly  approaching  us.  We  were  not  yet  in 
vicAv  of  the  wagons,  as  a  rise  of  ground  intervened,  and 
therefore  we  could  not  signal  the  train-men  in  case  of  any 
unexpected  danger  befalling  us.  We  had  no  suspicion, 
however,  that  we  were  about  to  be  trapped,  as  the 
strangers  were  white  men.  When  they  had  come  up  to  us, 
one  of  the  party,  who  evidently  was  the  leader,  rode  out 
in  front  and  said  :  — 

"'How  are  you,  Mr.  Simpson?' 

'"You've  got  the  best  of  me,  sir,' said  Simpson,  who 
did  not  know  him. 

" '  Well,  I  rather  think  I  have,'  coolly  replied  the 
stranger,  whose  words  conveyed  a  double  .meaning,  as  we 
soon  learned.  We  had  all  come  to  a  halt  by  this  time 
and  the  strange  horsemen  had  surrounded  us.  They 
were  all  armed  with  double-barrelled  shot-guns,  rifles, 
and  revolvers.  We  also  were  armed  with  revolvers,  but 
we  had  no  idea  of  danger,  and  these  men,  much  to  our 
surprise,  had  '  got  the  drop '  on  us  and  had  covered  us 


392  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

with  their  weapons,  so  that  we  were  completely  at  their 
mercy.  The  whole  movement  of  corralling  us  was  done 
so  quietly  and  quickly  that  it  was  accomplished  before  we 
knew  it. 

" '  I'll  trouble  you  for  your  six-shooters,  gentlemen,' 
now  said  the  leader. 

"  '  I'll  give  'em  to  you  in  a  way  you  don't  want,'  replied 
Simpson. 

"  The  next  moment  three  guns  were  levelled  at  Simp- 
son. '  If  you  make  a  move  you're  a  dead  man,'  said  the 
leader. 

"  Simpson  saw  that  he  was  taken  at  a  great  disadvan- 
tage, and  thinking  it  advisable  not  to  risk  the  lives  of  the 
party  by  any  rash  act  on  his  part,  he  said  :  'I  see  now 
that  you  have  the  best  of  me;  but  who  are  you,  anyhow?' 

" '  I  am  Joe  Smith,'  was  the  reply. 

"  '  What  !  the  leader  of  the  Danites  ? '  asked  Simpson. 

"  '  You  are  correct,'  said  Smith,  for  he  it  was. 

" '  Yes,'  said  Simpson,  '  I  know  you  now  ;  you  are  a 
spying  scoundrel.' 

"  Simpson  had  good  reasons  for  calling  him  this  and  for 
applying  to  him  a  much  more  opprobrious  epithet,  for  only 
a  short  time  before  this,  Joe  Smith  had  visited  our  train 
in  the  disguise  of  a  teamster,  and  had  remained  with  us 
two  days.  He  suddenly  disappeared,  no  one  knowing 
where  he  had  gone  or  yvhj  he  had  come  among  us.  But 
it  was  all  explained  to  us  now  that  he  had  returned  with 
his  Mormon  Danites.  After  they  had  disarmed  us, 
Simpson  asked,  '  Well,  Smith,  what  are  you  going  to  do 
Avith  us  ? ' 

" '  Ride  back  with  us  and  I'll  soon  show  you,'  said 
Smith. 

'•  We  had  no  idea  of  the  surprise  wdiich  awaited  us. 
As  we  came  upon  the  top  of  the  ridge,  from  which  we 
could  view   our    camp,   we   were    astonished   to   see    the 


BUFFALO   bill's    ADVENTURES  393 

remainder  of  the  traiu-inen  disuriued,  stationed  in  a  f^ronp, 
and  surrounded  by  another  squad  of  Danites,  while  other 
JMormons  were  searcliing  our  wagons  for  such  articles  as 
they  wanted. 

'"How  is  this?'  inquired  Simpson.  'How  did  you 
surprise  my  camp  without  a  struggle  ?  I  can't  under- 
stand it.' 

"'Easily  enough,'  said  Smith;  'your  men  were  all 
asleep  under  the  wagons,  except  the  cooks,  who  saw  us 
coming  and  took  us  for  returning  Californians  or  emi- 
grants, and  paid  no  attention  to  us  until  we  rode  up  and 
surrounded  your  train.  With  our  arms  covering  the 
men,  we  woke  them  up,  and  told  them  all  they  had  to  do 
was  to  walk  out  and  drop  their  pistols  —  which  they  saw 
was  the  best  thing  to  do  under  circumstances  over  which 
they  had  no  control  —  and  you  can  just  bet  they  did  it.' 

"  '  And  what  do  you  propose  to  do  with  us  now  ? '  asked 
Simpson. 

" '  I  intend  to  burn  your  train,'  said  he  ;  '  you  are 
loaded  with  supplies  and  ammunition  for  Sidney  Johns- 
ton, and  as  I  have  no  way  to  convey  the  stuff  to  my  own 
people,  I'll  see  that  it  does  not  reach  the  United  States 
troops.' 

"• '  Are  you  going  to  turn  us  adrift  here  ?  '  asked  Simp- 
son, who  was  anxious  to  learn  what  was  going  to  become 
of  himself  and  his  men. 

" '  No  ;  I  am  hardly  so  bad  as  that.  I'll  give  you 
enough  provisions  to  last  you  until  you  can  reach  Fort 
Bridger,'  replied  Smith  ;  '  and  as  soon  as  your  cooks  can 
get  the  stuff  out  of  the  wagons,  you  can  start.' 

'"  On  foot?  '  was  the  laconic  inquiry  of  Simpson. 

" '  Yes,  sir,'  was  the  equally  short  reply. 

"  '  Smith,  that's  too  rough  on  us  men.  Put  yourself  in 
our  place  and  see  how  you  would  like  it,'  said  Simpson  ; 
'you  can  well  ajBford  to  give  us  at  least  one  wagon  and  six 


394  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

yokes  of  oxen  to  convey  us  and  our  clothing  and  provi- 
sions to  Fort  Bridger.     You're  a  brute  if  you  don't  do 

this.' 

"  '  Well,'  said  Smith,  after  consulting  a  minute  or  two 
with  some  of  his  company,  'I'll  do  that  much  for  you.' 

"The  cattle  and  the  wagon  were  brought  up  accord- 
ing to  his  orders,  and  the  clothing  and  provisions  were 
loaded  on. 

" '  Now  you  can  go,'  said  Smith,  after  everything  had 
been  arranged. 

" '  Joe  Smith,  I  think  you  are  a  mean  coward  to  set  us 
afloat  in  a  hostile  country  without  giving  us  our  arms,' 
said  Simpson,  who  had  once  before  asked  for  the  weapons, 
and  had  had  his  request  denied. 

"  Smith,  after  further  consultation  with  his  comrades, 
said  :  — 

"  '  Simpson,  you  are  too  brave  a  man  to  be  turned  adrift 
here  without  any  means  of  defence.  You  shall  have  your 
revolvers  and  guns.'  Our  weapons  were  accordingly 
handed  over  to  Simpson,  and  we  at  once  started  for  Fort 
Bridger,  knowing  that  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  the 
recapture  of  our  train. 

"  When  we  had  travelled  about  two  miles,  we  saw  the 
smoke  rise  from  our  old  camp.  The  Mormons,  after  tak- 
ing what  goods  they  wanted  and  could  carry  off,  had  set 
fire  to  the  wagons,  many  of  which  were  loaded  with 
bacon,  lard,  hard-tack,  and  other  provisions,  which  made 
a  very  hot,  fierce  fire,  and  the  smoke  to  roll  up  in  dense 
clouds.  Some  of  the  wagons  were  loaded  with  ammuni- 
tion, and  it  was  not  long  before  loud  reports  followed  in 
rapid  succession.  We  waited  and  witnessed  the  burning 
of  the  train,  and  then  pushed  on  to  Fort  Bridger.  Arriv- 
ing at  this  post,  we  learned  that  two  other  trains  had 
been  captured  and  destroyed  in  the  same  way,  by  the 
Mormons.     This  made  seventy-five  wagon  loads,  or  450,- 


BUFFALO    bill's    ADVENTURES  395 

000  pounds  of  supplies,  mostly  provisions,  which  never 
reached  General  Johnston's  command,  to  wliich  they  had 
been  consigned. 

''After  reaching  the  fort,  it  being  far  in  November,  we 
decided  to  spend  the  winter  there  with  about  four  hundred 
other  employees  of  Russell,  Majors,  &  Waddell,  rather 
than  attempt  a  return,  which  would  have  exposed  us  to 
many  dangers  and  the  severity  of  the  rapidly  approaching 
winter.  Daring  this  period  of  hibernation,  however,  the 
larders  of  the  commissary  became  so  depleted  that  we  were 
placed  on  one-quarter  rations,  and  at  length,  as  a  final 
resort,  the  poor,  dreadfully  emaciated  mules  and  oxen 
were  killed  to  afford  sustenance  for  our  famishing  party. 

"  Fort  Bridger  being  located  in  a  prairie,  all  fuel  used 
there  had  to  be  carried  for  a  distance  of  nearly  two  miles, 
and  after  our  mules  and  oxen  were  butchered  we  had  no 
other  recourse  than  to  carry  the  wood  on  our  backs  or 
haul  it  on  sleds,  a  very  tedious  and  laborious  alternative. 

"  Starvation  was  beginning  to  lurk  about  the  post  when 
spring  approached,  and  but  for  the  timely  arrival  of  a 
westward-bound  train  loaded  with  provisions  for  John- 
ston's arm}',  some  of  our  party  must  certainly  have  fallen 
Adctims  to  deadly  hunger. 

"  The  winter  finally  passed  away,  and  early  in  the 
spring,  as  soon  as  we  could  travel,  the  civil  employees  of 
the  government,  with  the  teamsters  and  freighters,  started 
for  the  Missouri  River,  the  Johnston  expedition  having 
been  abandoned.  On  the  way  down  we  stopped  at  Fort 
Laramie,  and  there  met  a  supply-train  bound  westward. 
Of  course  we  all  had  a  square  meal  once  more,  consisting 
of  hard-tack,  bacon,  coffee,  and  T)eans.  I  can  honestly  say 
that  I  thought  it  was  the  best  meal  I  had  ever  eaten  ;  at 
least  I  relished  it  more  than  any  other,  and  I  think  the 
rest  of  the  party  did  the  same. 

"  On  leaving  Fort  Laramie,  Simpson  was  made  brigade 


396  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

wagon-master,  and  was  put  in  charge  of  two  large  wagon- 
trains,  with  about  four  hundred  extra  men,  who  Avere 
bound  for  Fort  Leavenworth.  When  we  came  to  Ash 
Hollow,  instead  of  taking  the  usual  trail  over  to  the  South 
Platte,  Simpson  decided  to  follow  the  North  Platte  down 
to  its  junction  with  the  South  Platte.  The  two  trains 
were  travelling  about  fifteen  miles  apart,  when  one  morn- 
ing while  Simpson  was  with  the  rear  train,  he  told  his 
assistant  wagon-master,  George  Woods,  and  myself,  to 
saddle  up  our  mules,  as  he  wanted  us  to  go  with  him  and 
overtake  the  head  train. 

"  We  started  o&  at  about  eleven  o'clock  and  had  ridden 
about  seven  miles,  when  —  while  we  were  on  a  big  plateau, 
back  of  Cedar  Bluffs  —  Ave  suddenly  discovered  a  band  of 
Indians  coming  out  of  the  head  of  a  ravine,  half  a  mile 
distant,  and  charging  down  upon  us  at  full  speed.  I 
thought  that  our  end  had  come  this  time.  Simpson,  how- 
ever, was  equal  to  the  occasion,  for  Avith  Avonderful 
promptness  he  jumped  from  his  jaded  mule,  and  in  a  trice 
shot  his  own  animal  and  ours  also,  and  ordered  us  to  assist 
him  to  jerk  their  bodies  into  a  triangle.  This  being 
quickly  done,  we  got  inside  the  barricade  of  mule  flesh 
and  Avere  prepared  to  receive  the  Indians.  We  Avere  each 
armed  Avith  a  Mississippi  yager  and  tAVO  revolvers,  and  as 
the  Indians  came  SAVOoping  doAvn  on  our  improvised  fort, 
we  opened  fire  Avith  such  good  effect  that  three  fell  dead 
at  the  first  volley.  This  caused  them  to  retreat  out  of 
range,  as  Avith  tAvo  exceptions  they  Avere  armed  Avith  boAvs 
and  arroAvs,  and  therefore,  to  approach  near  enough  to  do 
execution  Avould  expose  at  least  several  of  them  to  certain 
death.  Seeing  that  they  could  not  take  our  little  fortifi- 
cation, or  drive  us  from  it,  they  circled  around  several 
times,  shooting  their  arrows  at  us.  One  of  these  struck 
George  Woods  in  the  left  shoulder,  inflicting  only  a  slight 
wound,  however,  and  several  lodged  in  the  bodies  of  the 


BUFFALO   hill's   ADVENTURES  '397 

dead  mules  ;  otherwise  they  did  us  no  harm.  The  Indians 
finally  gallo2)ed  off  to  a  safe  distance,  where  our  bullets 
could  not  reach  them,  and  seemed  to  be  holding  a  council. 
Tills  was  a  lucky  move  for  us,  for  it  gave  us  an  oppor- 
tunity to  reload  our  guns  and  pistols,  and  prepare  for  the 
next  charge  of  the  enemy.  During  the  brief  cessation  of 
hostilities,  Simpson  extracted  the  arrow  from  Woods' 
shoulder,  and  put  an  immense  quid  of  tobacco  on  the 
wound.     Woods  was  then  ready  for  business  again. 

"  The  Indians  did  not  give  us  a  very  long  rest,  for 
with  another  desperate  charge,  as  if  to  ride  over  us,  they 
came  dashing  toward  the  mule  barricade.  We  gave  them 
a  hot  reception  with  our  yagers  and  revolvers.  They 
could  not  stand  or  understand  the  rapidly  repeating  fire 
of  the  revolver,  and  we  checked  them  again.  They  cir- 
cled around  us  once  more  and  gave  us  a  few  parting  shots 
as  the}'  rode  off,  leaving  behind  them  another  dead  Indian 
and  a  horse. 

"  For  two  hours  afterward  they  did  not  seem  to  be 
doing  anything  but  holding  a  council.  We  made  good 
use  of  this  time  by  digging  up  the  ground  inside  the  bar- 
ricade, with  our  knives,  and  throwing  the  loose  earth 
around  and  over  the  mules,  and  we  soon  had  a  very 
respectable  fortification.  We  were  not  troubled  any 
more  that  day,  but  during  the  night  the  cunning  rascals 
tried  to  burn  us  out  by  setting  fire  to  the  prairie.  The 
buffalo  grass  was  so  short  that  the  fire  did  not  trouble  us 
much,  but  the  smoke  concealed  the  Indians  from  our  view, 
and  they  thought  they  could  approach  close  to  us  without 
being  seen.  We  were  aware  of  this  and  kept  a  sharp 
lookout,  being  prepared  all  the  time  to  receive  them. 
Tiie}^  finally  abandoned  the  idea  of  surprising  us. 

"  Next  morning,  bright  and  early,  they  gave  us  one 
more  grand  charge,  and  again  we  '  stood  them  off.'  They 
then   rode    away  half  a  mile   or  so  and  formed  a  circle 


398  THE   GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

around  us.  Each  man  dismounted  and  sat  down,  as  if  to 
wait  and  starve  us  out.  They  had  evidently  seen  the 
advance  train  pass  on  the  morning  of  the  previous  day, 
and  believed  that  we  belonged  to  that  outfit  and  were 
trying  to  overtake  it  ;  they  had  no  idea  that  another  train 
■was  on  its  way  after  us. 

"  Our  hopes  of  escape  from  this  unpleasant  and  perilous 
situation  now  depended  upon  the  arrival  of  the  rear  train, 
and  when  we  saw  that  the  Indians  were  going  to  besiege 
us  instead  of  renewing  their  attacks,  we  felt  rather  confident 
of  receiving  timely  assistance.  We  had  expected  that  the 
train  would  be  along  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  previous 
day,  and  as  the  morning  wore  away  we  were  somewhat 
anxious  and  uneasy  at  its  non-arrival. 

"  At  last,  about  ten  o'clock,  we  began  to  hear  in  the 
distance  the  loud  and  sharp  reports  of  the  big  bull-whips, 
which  were  handled  with  great  dexterity  by  the  teamsters, 
and  cracked  like  rifle-shots.  These  were  as  welcome 
sounds  to  us  as  were  the  notes  of  the  bagpipes  to  the 
besieged  garrison  at  Lucknow,  when  the  reenforcements 
were  coming  up  and  the  pipers  were  heard  playing,  '  The 
Campbells  are  coming.'  In  a  few  moments  we  saw  the 
lead  or  head  wagon  coming  slowly  over  the  ridge,  wliich 
had  concealed  the  train  from  our  view,  and  soon  the  whole 
outfit  made  its  appearance.  The  Indians  observed  the 
approaching  train,  and,  assembling  in  a  group,  they  held 
a  short  consultation.  Then  they  charged  upon  us  once 
more,  for  the  last  time,  and  as  they  turned  and  dashed 
away  over  the  prairie,  we  sent  our  farewell  shots  rattling 
after  them.  The  teamsters,  seeing  the  Indians  and  hear- 
ing the  shots,  came  rushing  forward  to  our  assistance,  but 
by  the  time  the}^  reached  us  the  redskins  had  almost  dis- 
appeared from  view.  The  teamsters  eagerly  asked  us  a 
hundred  questions  concerning  our  fight,  admired  our  fort, 
and  praised  our  pluck.      Simpson's  remarkable  presence 


BUFFALO    bill's    ADVENTURES  399 

of  mind  in  plannin<^  the  defence  was  the  general  topic  of 
conversation  among  all  the  men. 

•^^  When  the  teams  came  np  we  obtained  some  water  and 
bandages  Avith  which  to  dress  Woods'  wound,  which  had 
become  quite  inflamed  and  painful,  and  we  then  put  him 
into  one  of  the  wagons.  Simpson  and  myself  obtained  a 
remount,  bade  good-by  to  our  dead  mules  which  had 
served  us  so  well,  and  after  collecting  the  ornaments  and 
other  plunder  from  the  dead  Indians,  we  left  their  bodies 
and  bones  to  bleach  on  the  prairie.  The  train  moved  on 
again  and  we  had  no  other  adventures  except  several 
excitinsT  buffalo-liunts  on  the  South  Platte,  near  Plum 
Creek. 

"  We  arrived  at  Fort  Leavenworth  about  the  middle  of 
July,  1858,  when  I  immediately  visited  home. 

"  I  had  been  home  only  about  a  month,  after  returning 
from  Fort  Bridger,  when  I  again  started  out  with  another 
train,  going  this  time  as  assistant  wagon-master  under 
Buck  Bomer.  We  went  safely  through  to  Fort  Laramie, 
which  was  our  destination,  and  from  there  we  Avere 
ordered  to  take  a  load  of  supplies  to  a  new  post  called 
Fort  Wallace,  which  was  being  established  at  Cheyenne 
Pass.  We  made  this  trip  and  got  back  to  Fort  Laramie 
about  November  1.  I  then  quit  the  employ  of  Russell, 
]\Iajors,  &  Waddell,  and  joined  a  party  of  trappers  who 
were  sent  out  by  the  post  trader,  Mr.  Ward,  to  trap  on 
the  streams  of  the  Chugwater  and  Laramie  for  beaver, 
otter,  and  other  fur  animals,  and  also  to  poison  wolves 
for  their  pelts.  We  were  out  two  months,  but  as  the 
expedition  did  not  prove  very  profitable,  and  was  rather 
dangerous  on  account  of  the  Indians,  Ave  abandoned  the 
enterprise  and  came  into  Fort  Laramie  in  the  latter  part 
of  December. 

''  Being  anxious  to  return  to  the  Missouri  River,  I 
joined  Avith  two  others,  named  Scott  and  Charley,  who 


400  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

were  also  desirous  of  going  East  on  a  visit,  bought  three 
ponies  and  a  pack-mule,  and  we  started  out  together. 
We  made  rapid  progress  on  our  journey,  and  nothing 
worthy  of  note  happened  until  one  afternoon,  along  the 
banks  of  the  Little  Blue  River,  we  spied  a  band  of  Indians 
hunting  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  three  miles 
away.  We  did  not  escape  their  notice,  and  they  gave  us 
a  lively  chase  for  two  hours,  but  they  could  find  no  good 
crossing,  and  as  evening  came  on  we  finally  got  away  from 
them. 

"  We  travelled  until  late  in  the  night,  when  upon  dis- 
covering a  low,  deep  ravine  which  we  thought  would 
make  a  comfortable  and  safe  camping-place,  we  stopped 
for  a  rest.  In  searching  for  a  good  place  to  make  our 
beds,  I  found  a  hole,  and  called  to  my  comiDanions  that  I 
had  found  a  place  for  a  rest.  One  of  the  party  was  to 
stand  guard  while  the  others  slept.  Scott  took  the  first 
watch,  while  Charley  and  I  prepared  our  beds. 

"  While  clearing  out  the  place  we  felt  something  rough, 
but  as  it  was  dark  we  could  not  make  out  what  it  was. 
At  any  rate  we  concluded  that  it  was  bones  or  sticks 
of  wood ;  we  thought  perhaps  it  might  be  the  bones  of 
some  animal  which  had  fallen  in  there  and  died.  These 
bones,  for  such  they  really  proved  to  be,  we  pushed  one 
side,  and  then  we  lay  down.  But  Charley,  being  an  in- 
veterate smoker,  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  indul- 
ging in  a  smoke  before  going  to  sleep.  So  he  sat  up  and 
struck  a  match  to  light  his  old  pipe.  Our  subterranean 
bedchamber  was  thus  illuminated  for  a  moment  or  two  ; 
I  sprang  to  my  feet  in  an  instant,  for  a  ghastly  and  horrify- 
ing sight  was  revealed  to  us.  Eight  or  ten  human  skele- 
tons lay  scattered  upon  the  ground  ! 

"  The  light  of  the  match  died  out,  but  we  had  seen 
enough  to  convince  us  that  we  were  in  a  large  grave,  into 
which,  perhaps,  some  unfortunate  emigrants,  who  had  been 


BUFFALO    bill's    ADVENTURES  401 

killed  l)y  the  Indians,  luid  been  thrown  ;  or,  probably, 
seeking  refuge  there,  they  had  been  corralled  and  killed  on 
the  spot.  If  such  were  the  case  they  had  met  the  fate  of 
thousands  of  others,  whose  friends  have  never  heard  of 
them  since  they  left  their  Eastern  homes  to  seek  their 
fortunes  in  the  far  West.  However,  we  did  not  care  to 
investigate  this  mystery  any  further,  but  w'e  hustled  out 
of  that  chamber  of  death  and  informed  Scott  of  our  dis- 
covery. Most  of  the  plainsmen  are  very  superstitious, 
and  we  were  no  exception  to  the  general  rule.  AVe  surely 
thought  that  this  incident  was  an  evil  omen,  and  that  we 
would  be  killed  if  we  remained  there  any  longer. 

" '  Let  us  dig  out  of  here  quicker  than  we  can  say  Jack 
Robinson,'  said  Scott;  and  we  began  to  'dig  out'  at  once. 
We  saddled  our  animals  and  hurriedly  pushed  forward 
through  the  darkness,  travelling  several  miles  before  w^e 
again  went  into  camp.  Next  morning  it  was  snowing 
fiercely,  but  we  proceeded  as  best  we  could,  and  that 
night  we  succeeded  in  reaching  Oak  Grove  Ranch  which 
had  been  built  during  the  summer.  We  here  obtained 
comfortable  accommodations  and  plenty  to  eat  and  drink 
—  especially  the  latter. 

"  Scott  and  Charley  were  great  lovers  and  consumers  of 
'tanglefoot'  and  they  soon  got  gloriously  drunk.  They 
kept  it  up  for  three  days,  during  Avhich  time  they  gambled 
with  the  ranchmen,  who  got  away  with  all  their  monc}^  ; 
l)ut  little  they  cared  for  that,  as  they  had  their  spree. 
They  finally  sobered  up,  and  we  resumed  our  journey, 
urging  our  jaded  animals  as  much  as  they  could  stand, 
until  we  struck  Marysville  on  the  Big  Blue.  From  this 
place  to  Leavenworth  we  secured  first-rate  accommoda- 
tions along  the  road,  as  the  country  had  become  pretty 
well  settled. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1879,  the  Fifth  Cavalry  were  or- 
dered to  the  Department  of  the  Platte  and  took  up  their 

2d 


402  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

line  of  inarch  for  Fort  McPherson,  Nebraska.  We  laid 
over  one  day  at  Fort  Wallace,  to  get  supplies,  and  from 
Fort  Wallace  we  moved  down  to  Sheridan,  where  the 
command  halted  for  us  to  lay  in  a  suppl}-  of  forage  which 
was  stored  there.  I  was  still  messing  with  Major  Brown, 
with  whom  I  Avent  into  the  village  to  purchase  a  suppl}^ 
of  provisions  for  our  mess  ;  but  unfortunately  we  were  in 
too  jolly  a  mood  to  fool  away  money  on  'grub.'  We 
bought  several  articles,  however,  and  put  them  into  the 
ambulance  and  sent  them  back  to  camp  with  our  cook. 
The  major  and  myself  did  not  return  until  reveille  next 
morning.  Soon  afterward  the  general  sounded  'boots 
and  saddles,'  and  presently  the  regiment  was  on  its  way 
to  Fort  McPherson. 

"  It  was  late  before  we  went  into  camp  that  night  and 
we  were  very  tired  and  hungry.  Just  as  ]\Iajor  Brown 
was  having  his  tent  put  up,  his  cook  came  to  us  and 
asked  where  the  provisions  were  that  he  had  bought  the 
day  before. 

'"Why,  did  we  not  give  them  to  you  —  did  you  not 
bring  them  to  camp  in  the  ambulance  ? '  asked  BroAvn. 

" '  No,  sir ;  it  was  only  a  five-gallon  demijohn  of 
whiskey,  a  five-gallon  demijohn  of  brandy,  and  two  cases 
of  Old  Tom-Cat  gin,'  said  the  cook. 

"  '  The  mischief  !  '  I  exclaimed  ;  '  didn't  Ave  spend  any 
money  for  grub  at  all  ?  ' 

" '  No,  sir,'  replied  the  cook. 

'"Well,  that  will  do  for  the  present,' said  Major  BroAvn. 

"  It  seems  that  our  minds  had  evidently  been  running 
on  a  different  subject  than  provisions  Avhile  Ave  were 
loitering  in  Sheridan,  and  we  found  ourselves,  Avith  a  two 
hundred  and  fifty  mile  march  ahead  of  us,  without  any- 
thing more  inviting  than  ordinary  army  rations. 

"  At  this  juncture  Captain  Denny  came  up  and  the 
major  apologized  for  not  being  able  to  invite  him  to  take 


BUFFALO   bill's    ADVENTURES  403 

supper  with  us  ;  but  we  did  the  next  best  thing,  and 
asked  hiui  to  take  a  drink.  He  remarked  that  that  was 
what  he  was  looking  for,  and  when  he  learned  of  our 
being  out  of  commissary  supplies  and  that  we  had  bought 
nothing  except  Avhiskey,  brandy,  and  gin,  he  said  joy- 
ously :  — 

"  '  Bo3's,  as  we  have  an  abundance,  you  can  eat  with  us 
and  we  will  drink  with  i/ou.^ 

"  It  was  a  satisfactory  arrangement,  and  from  that  time 
forward  we  traded  our  liquors  for  solids.  When  the  rest 
of  the  officers  heard  of  what  Brown  and  I  had  done  they 
all  sent  us  invitations  to  dine  with  them  at  any  time.  We 
returned  the  compliment  by  inviting  them  to  drink  with 
us  whenever  they  were  dry.  Although  I  would  not  advise 
anybody  to  follow  our  example,  yet  it  is  a  fact  that  we 
got  more  provisions  for  our  whiskey  than  the  same  money, 
which  we  paid  for  the  liquor,  would  have  bought;  so  after 
all  it  proved  a  very  profitable  investment. 

"  On  reaching  North  Fork  of  the  Beaver  and  riding 
down  the  valley  toward  the  stream,  I  suddenly  discovered 
a  large,  fresh  Indian  trail.  On  examination  I  found  it  to 
be  scattered  all  over  the  valley  on  both  sides  of  the  creek, 
as  if  a  very  large  village  had  recently  passed  down  that 
way.  Judging  from  the  size  of  the  trail,  I  thought  there 
could  not  be  less  than  four  hundred  lodges,  or  between 
twenty-five  hundred  and  three  thousand  warriors,  women, 
and  children  in  the  band.  I  galloped  back  to  the  com- 
mand, distant  about  three  miles,  and  reported  the  news  to 
General  Carr,  who  halted  the  regiment,  and  after  consult- 
ing a  few  minutes,  ordered  me  to  select  a  ravine,  or  as 
low  ground  as  possible,  so  that  we  could  keep  the  troops 
out  of  sight  until  we  could  strike  the  creek. 

"  We  went  into  camp  on  the  Beaver,  and  the  general 
ordered  Lieutenant  Ward  to  take  twelve  men  and  my- 
self and  follow  up  the  trail  for  several   miles,  and  find 


404  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

out  liow  fast  the  Indians  were  travelling.  I  was  soon 
convinced,  by  the  many  camps  they  had  made,  that  they 
were  travelling  slowly,  and  hunting  as  they  journeyed. 
We  went  down  the  Beaver  on  this  scout  about  twelve 
miles,  keeping  our  horses  well  concealed  under  the  banks 
of  the  creek,  so  as  not  to  be  discovered. 

"  At  this  point  Lieutenant  Ward  and  myself,  leaving 
our  horses  behind  us,  crawled  to  the  toj?  of  a  high  knoll, 
where  we  could  have  a  good  view  for  some  miles  down 
the  stream.  We  peeped  over  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
and,  not  over  three  miles  away,  we  could  see  a  whole 
Indian  villtige  in  plain  sight,  and  thousands  of  ponies 
grazing  around  on  the  prairie.  Looking  over  to  our  left 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek,  we  observed  two  or 
three  parties  of  Indians  coming  in,  loaded  down  with 
buffalo  meat. 

" '  This  is  no  place  for  us,  Lieutenant,'  said  I ;  'I  think 
we  have  important  business  at  the  camp  to  attend  to  as 
soon  as  possible.' 

"  '  I  agree  with  you,'  said  he  ;  '  and  the  quicker  we  get 
there  the  better  it  will  be  for  us.' 

"  We  quickly  descended  the  hill  and  joined  the  men 
below.  Lieutenant  Ward  quickly  wrote  a  note  to  Gen- 
eral Carr,  and  handing  it  to  a  corporal,  ordered  him  to 
make  all  possible  haste  back  to  the  command  and  deliver 
the  message.  The  man  started  off  on  a  gallop,  and 
Lieutenant  Ward  said  :  '  We  will  march  slowly  back 
until  we  meet  the  troops,  as  I  think  the  general  will  soon 
be  here,  for  he  will  start  immediately  upon  receiving  my 
note.' 

"  In  a  few  minutes  we  heard  two  or  three  shots  in  the 
direction  in  which  our  despatch  courier  had  gone,  and 
soon  after  we  saw  him  come  running  around  the  bend  of 
the  creek,  pursued  by  four  or  five  Indians.  The  lieu- 
tenant,  with  his  squad   of  soldiers  and  myself,  at  once 


BUFFALO    bill's    ADVKNTUKES  405 

charged  among  them,  when  they  turned  and  ran  across 
the  stream. 

" '  This  will  not  do,'  said  Lieutenant  Ward,  '  the  whole 
Indian  village  will  now  knoAV  that  soldiers  are  near  by.' 

"  '  Lieutenant,  give  nie  that  note,  and  I  will  take  it  to 
the  general,'  said  L 

"  He  gladly  handed  me  the  despatch,  and  spurring  my 
horse  I  dashed  up  the  creek.  After  having  ridden  a  short 
distance,  I  observed  another  party  of  Indians  also  going 
to  the  village  with  meat  ;  but  instead  of  waiting  for 
them  to  fire  on  me,  I  gave  them  a  shot  at  long 
range.  Seeing  one  man  firing  at  them  so  boldly,  it  sur- 
prised them,  and  they  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  it. 
While  they  were  thus  considering,  I  got  between  them 
and  our  camp.  By  this  time  they  had  recovered  from 
their  surprise,  and  cutting  their  buffalo  meat  loose  from 
their  horses,  they  came  after  me  at  the  top  of  their  speed  ; 
but  as  their  steeds  were  tired  out,  it  did  not  take  me  long 
to  leave  them  far  in  the  rear. 

"  I  reached  the  command  in  less  than  an  hour,  delivered 
the  despatch  to  General  Carr,  and  informed  him  of  what 
I  had  seen.  He  instantly  had  the  bugler  sound  '  boots 
and  saddles,' and  all  the  troops — with  the  exception  of 
two  companies  which  we  left  to  guard  the  train  —  were 
soon  galloping  in  the  direction  of  the  Indian  camp. 

"  We  had  ridden  about  three  miles  when  we  met  Lieu- 
tenant Ward,  who  was  coming  slowly  toward  us.  He 
reported  that  he  had  run  into  a  party  of  Indian  buffalo- 
hunters,  and  had  killed  one  of  the  number,  and  had  had  one 
of  his  horses  wounded.  We  immediately  pushed  forward, 
and  after  marching  about  five  miles  came  within  sight  of 
hundreds  of  mounted  Indians  advancing  up  the  creek  to 
meet  us.  They  formed  a  complete  line  in  front  of  us. 
General  Carr,  being  desirous  of  striking  their  village, 
ordered  the  troops  to  charge,  break  through  their  line,  and 


406  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

keep  straight  on.  This  movement  would,  no  doubt,  have 
been  successfully  accomplished  had  it  not  been  for  the 
rattle-brained  and  daredevil  French  Lieutenant  Schino- 
sky,  commanding  Company  B,  who,  misunderstanding 
General  Carr's  orders,  charged  upon  some  Indians  at  the 
left,  while  the  rest  of  the  command  dashed  through  the 
enemy's  line,  and  was  keeping  straight  on,  when  it  was 
observed  that  Schinosky  and  his  company  were  surrounded 
by  four  or  five  hundred  redskins.  The  general,  to  save 
the  company,  was  obliged  to  sound  a  halt,  and  charge 
back  to  the  rescue.  The  company,  during  this  short 
fight,  had  several  men  and  quite  a  number  of  horses 
killed. 

"  All  this  took  up  valuable  time,  and  night  was  coming 
on.  The  Indians  were  fighting  desjDerately  to  keep  us 
from  reaching  their  village,  which,  being  informed  by 
couriers  of  what  was  taking  place,  was  packing  up  and 
getting  away.  During  that  afternoon  it  was  all  that  we 
could  do  to  hold  our  o^vn  in  fighting  the  mounted  warriors, 
who  were  in  our  front,  and  contesting  every  inch  of  the 
ground.  The  general  had  left  word  for  our  wagon-train 
to  follow  up  with  its  escort  of  two  companies,  but  as  it 
had  not  made  its  appearance  he  entertained  some  fears 
that  it  had  been  surrounded,  and  to  prevent  the  loss  of 
the  supply-train  we  had  to  go  back  and  look  for  it. 
About  nine  o'clock  that  evening  we  found  it,  and  went 
into  camp  for  the  night. 

"  Early  the  next  day  we  broke  camp  and  passed  down 
the  creek,  but  there  was  not  an  Indian  to  be  seen.  They 
had  all  disappeared  and  gone  with  their  village.  Two 
miles  farther  we  came  to  where  a  village  had  been  located, 
and  here  we  found  nearly  everything  belonging  or  per- 
taining to  an  Indian  camp,  which  had  been  left  in  the 
great  hurry  to  get  away.  These  articles  were  all  gath- 
ered up  and  burned.     We  then  pushed  out  on  the  trail  as 


BUFFALO   bill's    ADVENTURES  407 

fast  as  possible.  It  led  us  to  the  northeast  toward  the 
Republican;  but  as  the  Indians  had  a  night  the  start  of 
us  we  entertained  but  little  hope  of  overtaking  them  that 
day.  Upon  reaching  the  Republican  in  the  afternoon  the 
general  called  a  halt,  and  as  the  trail  was  running  more 
to  the  East,  he  concluded  to  send  his  wagon-train  on  to 
Fort  McPherson  by  the  most  direct  route,  while  he  would 
follow  on  the  trail  of  the  redskins. 

"  Next  morning  at  daylight  we  again  pulled  out,  and 
■were  evidently  gaining  rapidly  on  the  Indians,  for  we 
could  occasionally  see  them  in  the  distance.  About 
eleven  o'clock  that  day,  while  Major  Babcock  was  ahead 
of  the  main  command  with  his  company,  and  while  we 
were  crossing  a  deep  ravine,  we  Avere  surprised  by  about 
three  hundred  warriors  who  commenced  a  lively  fire  upon 
us.  Galloping  out  of  the  ravine  on  to  the  rough  prairie 
the  men  dismounted  and  returned  the  fire.  We  soon 
succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  before  us,  and  were  so 
close  upon  them  at  one  time  that  they  abandoned,  and 
threw  away  nearly  all  their  lodges  and  camp  equipage, 
and  everything  that  had  any  considerable  weight.  They 
left  behind  them  their  played-out  horses,  and  for  miles  we 
could  see  Indian  furniture  strewn  along  in  every  direction. 
The  trail  became  divided,  and  the  Indians  scattered  in 
small  bodies,  all  over  the  prairie.  As  night  was  ap- 
proaching, and  cur  horses  were  about  giving  out,  a  lialt 
was  called.  A  company  was  detailed  to  collect  all  the 
Indian  horses  running  loose  over  the  country,  and  to  burn 
the  other  Indian  property. 

"  The  command  being  nearly  out  of  rations  I  was  sent 
to  the  nearest  point,  old  Fort  Kearny,  about  sixty  miles 
distant  for  supplies. 

"  Shortly  after  we  reached  Fort  McPherson,  which  con- 
tinued to  be  the  headquarters  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry  for 
some  time,  we  fitted  out  a  new  expedition  to  the  Repub- 


408  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

lican  River  countiy,  and  were  reenforced  by  three  com- 
panies of  the  celebrated  Pawnee  Indian  scouts,  commanded 
by  Major  Frank  North  :  liis  officers  being  Captain  Lute 
North,  brother  of  the  major,  Captain  Cushing,  his  brother- 
in-law.  Captain  Morse,  and  Lieutenants  Beecher,  Matthews, 
and  Kislandberry.  General  Carr  recommended  at  this 
time  to  General  Augur,  who  was  in  command  of  the  De- 
2)artmeiit,  that  I  be  made  chief  of  scouts  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Platte,  and  informed  me  that  in  this  position 
I  would  receive  higlier  wages  than  I  had  been  gettiug  in 
the  Department  of  the  Missouri.  This  appointment  I 
had  not  asked  for. 

"  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Major  Frank  North,  and 
I  found  him  and  his  officers  perfect  gentlemen,  and  we 
were  all  good  friends  from  the  very  start.  The  Pawnee 
scouts  had  made  quite  a  reputation  for  tliemselves,  as 
they  had  performed  brave  and  valuable  services  in  fight- 
ing against  the  Sioux,  whose  bitter  enemies  they  were  ; 
being  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  Republican  and 
Beaver  country,  I  was  glad  tliat  they  were  to  be  with 
the  expedition,  and  my  expectation  of  the  aid  they  would 
render  Avas  not  disappointed. 

"  During  our  stay  at  Fort  McPherson  I  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Lieutenant  George  P.  Belden,  known  as 
'  The  White  Chief.'  I  found  him  to  be  an  intelligent, 
dashing  fellow,  a  splendid  rider,  and  an  excellent  shot. 

"  While  we  were  at  this  post,  General  Augur  and  several 
of  his  officers,  and  also  Thomas  Duncan,  Brevet  Brigadier 
and  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Fifth  Cavahy,  paid  us  a 
visit  for  the  purpose  of  reviewing  the  command.  The 
regiment  turned  out  in  fine  style  and  showed  themselves 
to  be  well-drilled  soldiers,  thoroughly  understanding  mili- 
tary tactics.  The  Pawnee  scouts  were  also  reviewed  and 
it  was  very  amusing  to  see  them  in  their  full  regulation 
uniform.     They  had  been  furnished  a  regular  cavalry  uni- 


BUFFALO   bill's   ADVENTURES  409 

form  and  on  this  })ai-ade  some  of  tliem  liad  their  heavy 
overcoats  on,  others  their  hirge  bUick  hats,  with  all  the 
brass  accoutrements  attached ;  some  of  them  were  minus 
pantaloons  and  only  wore  a  breech-clout.  Others  wore 
regulation  pantaloons  but  no  shirts,  and  were  bareheaded  ; 
others  again  had  the  seat  of  their  pantaloons  cut  out,  leav- 
ing only  leggings  ;  some  of  them  wore  brass  spurs,  though 
"without  boots  or  moccasins  ;  but  for  all  tliis  they  seemed 
to  understand  the  drill  remarkably  well  for  Indians.  The 
commands,  of  course,  were  given  to  them  in  their  own 
language  by  Major  North,  Avho  could  talk  it  as  well  as  any 
full-blooded  Pawnee.  The  Indians  were  well  mounted 
and  felt  proud  and  elated  because  they  had  been  made 
United  States  soldiers.  Major  North  had  for  years  com- 
plete power  over  these  Indians  and  could  do  more  with 
them  than  any  man  living.  That  evening  after  the  pa- 
rade Avas  over  the  officers  and  quite  a  number  of  ladies 
visited  a  grand  Indian  dance  given  by  the  Pawnees,  and 
of  all  the  Indians  I  have  ever  seen,  their  dances  excel 
those  of  any  other  tribe. 

"  Next  day  the  command  started  ;  when  encamped, 
several  days  after,  on  the  Republican  River  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Beaver,  ^ve  heard  the  whoops  of  the  Indians, 
follow^ed  by  shots  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mule  herd,  Avhich 
had  been  taken  down  to  water.  One  of  the  herders  came 
dashing  into  camp  with  an  arrow  sticking  into  liini.  My 
horse  was  close  at  hand,  and,  mounting  him  bareback,  I 
at  once  dashed  off  after  the  mule  herd,  which  had  been 
stampeded.  I  supposed  that  certainly  I  w'ould  be  the 
first  man  on  the  ground,  l)ut  I  was  mistaken,  however,  for 
the  Pawnee  Indians,  unlike  regular  soldiers,  had  not 
waited  to  receive  orders  from  their  officers,  but  had 
jumped  on  their  ponies  without  bridles  or  saddles,  and 
placing  ropes  in  their  mouths,  had  dashed  off  in  the  direc- 
tion whence  the  shots  had  come,  and  had  got  there  ahead 


410 


THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 


of  me.  It  proved  to  be  a  party  of  about  fifty  Sioux, 
who  had  endeavoured  to  stampede  our  mules,  and  it  took 
them  by  surprise  to  see  their  inveterate  enemies  —  the 
Pawnees  —  coming  at  full  gallop  toward  them.  They  were 
not  aware  that  the  Pawnees  were  with  the  command,  and 
as  they  knew  that  it  would  take  regular  soldiers  some  time 
to  turn  out,  they  thought  they  would  have  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  secure  the  herd  before  the  troops  could  give  chase. 
"  We  had  a  running  fight  of  fifteen  miles  and  several  of 
the  enemy  were  killed.  During  this  chase  I  was  mounted 
on  an  excellent  horse,  which  Colonel  Royall  had  picked  out 
for  me,  and  for  the  first  mile  or  two  I  was  in  advance  of 

the  Pawnees.  Presently 
a  Pawnee  shot  by  me  like 
an  arrow  and  I  could  not 
help  admiring  the  horse 
he  was  riding.  Seeing 
that  he  possessed  rare 
running  qualities,  I  de- 
termined to  get  possession 
of  the  animal  in  some 
way.  It  was  a  large  buck- 
skin or  3^ellow  horse,  and 
I  took  a  careful  view  of 
him  so  that  I  would  know 
him  when  I  returned  to 
camp.  After  the  chase 
was  over  I  rode  np  to 
Major  North  and  inquired 
about  the  buckskin  horse. 


Cody  on 
DuckJikin  Joe. 


Oh, 


yes,' 


said    the 


major,  'that  is  one  of  our  favourite  steeds.' 

"  '  What  chance  is  there  to  trade  for  him?  '  I  asked. 
" '  It  is  a  government  horse,'  said  he,  '  and  the  Indian 

who  is  riding  him  is  very  much  attached  to  him.' 


BUFFALO   bill's   ADVENTURES  411 

"'I  have  falk'U  in  love  with  tlio  horse  myself,'  said  I, 
'  and  I  wouUl  like  to  know  if  you  have  any  objections  to 
my  trading-  for  him  if  I  can  arrange  it  satisfactorily  with 
the  Indian  ? ' 

"  He  replied  :  '  None  whatever,  and  I  will  help  you  to 
do  it  ;  you  can  give  the  Indian  another  horse  in  his  place.' 

"A  few  days  after  this,  I  persuaded  the  Indian,  by 
making  him  several  presents,  to  trade  horses  with  me, 
and  in  this  way  I  became  the  owner  of  the  buckskin  steed, 
not  as  my  own  property,  however,  but  as  a  government 
horse  that  I  could  ride.  I  gave  him  the  name  of  '  Buck- 
skin Joe,'  and  he  j)i'oved  to  be  a  good  second  Brigham. 
That  horse  I  rode  off  and  on  during  the  summers  of 
1869,  '70,  '71,  and  '72,  and  he  was  the  horse  that  the 
Grand  Duke  Alexis  rode  on  his  buffalo-hunt. 

"  The  command  scouted  several  days  up  the  Beaver  and 
Prairie  Dog  rivers,  occasionally  having  running  fights  with 
war-parties  of  Indians,  but  did  not  succeed  in  getting 
them  into  a  general  battle.  At  the  end  of  twenty  days 
we  found  ourselves  back  on  the  Republican. 

"  Hitherto  the  Pawnees  had  not  taken  much  interest  in 
me,  but  while  at  this  camp  I  gained  their  respect  and  ad- 
miration by  showing  them  how  I  killed  buffaloes.  I  had 
gone  out  in  company  with  Major  North  and  some  of  the 
officers,  and  saw  them  make  a  'surround.'  Twenty  of  the 
Pawnees  circled  a  herd  and  succeeded  in  killing  only 
thirty- two. 

"  While  they  were  cutting  up  the  animals  another  herd 
appeared  in  sight.  The  Indians  were  preparing  to  sur- 
round it,  when  I  asked  Major  North  to  keep  them  back 
and  let  me  show  them  what  I  could  do.  He  accordingly 
informed  the  Indians  of  my  wish,  and  they  readily  con- 
sented to  let  me  have  the  opportunity.  I  had  learned 
that  Buckskin  Joe  was  an  excellent  buffalo  horse,  and 
felt  confident  that  I  would  astonish  the  natives  ;  gallop- 


412  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ing  in  among  the  buffaloes,  I  certainly  did  so,  by  killing 
thirty-six  in  less  than  a  half-mile  run.  At  nearly  every 
shot  I  killed  a  buffalo,  stringing  the  animals  out  on  the 
prairie,  not  over  fifty  feet  apart.  This  manner  of  killing 
was  greatly  admired  by  the  Indians,  who  called  me  a  big 
chief,  and  from  that  time  on  I  stood  high  in  their  estima- 
tion. 

"  On  leaving  camp,  the  command  took  a  westward 
course  up  the  Republican,  and  Major  North  with  two 
companies  of  his  Pawnees  and  two  or  three  companies  of 
cavalry,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Royall,  made  a 
scout  to  the  north  of  the  river.  Shortly  after  we  had 
gone  into  camp,  on  the  Black  Tail  Deer  Fork,  we  observed 
a  band  of  Indians  coming  over  the  prairie  at  full  gallop, 
singing  and  yelling  and  waving  their  lances  and  long 
poles.  At  first  we  supposed  them  to  be  Sioux,  and  all 
was  excitement  for  a  few  moments.  We  noticed,  how- 
ever, that  our  Pawnee  Indians  made  no  hostile  demonstra- 
tions or  preparations  toward  going  out  to  fight  them,  but 
began  swinging  and  yelling  themselves.  Captain  Lute 
North  stepped  up  to  General  Carr  and  said  :  — 

" '  General,  those  are  our  men  who  are  coming,  and 
they  have  had  a  fight.  That  is  the  way  they  act  when 
they  come  back  from  a  battle  and  have  taken  any  scalps.' 

"The  Pawnees  came  into  camp  on  the  run.  Captain 
North  calling  to  one  of  them  —  a  sergeant  —  soon  found 
out  that  they  had  run  across  a  party  of  Sioux  who  were 
following  a  large  Indian  trail.  These  Indians  had  evi- 
dently been  in  a  fight,  for  two  or  three  of  them  had  been 
wounded,  and  they  were  conveying  the  injured  persons  on 
travois.^     The   Pawnees  had  'jumped'   them   and  killed 

1  Long  poles,  one  fastened  on  each  side  of  a  pony,  the  ends  dragging  on 
the  ground  far  to  the  rear  ;  on  these  the  dead  and  wounded  were  carried. 
The  Indians  also  move  their  camp  equipage  by  this  primitive  means  of 
transpoi'tation. 


BUFFALO   bill's   ADVENTURES  413 

three  or  four  after  a  sliarp  light,  in  which  much  auunu- 
uition  Avas  expended. 

"  Next  morning  the  counnand,  at  an  early  liour,  started 
out  to  take  up  this  Indian  trail  which  the}^  followed  for 
two  days  as  rapidly  as  possible,  it  becoming  evident  from 
the  many  camp-fires  which  we  passed  that  we  were  gain- 
ing on  the  Indians.  Wherever  they  had  encamped  we 
found  the  print  of  a  woman's  shoe,  and  we  concluded  that 
they  had  with  them  some  white  captive.  This  made  us 
all  the  more  anxious  to  overtake  them,  and  General  Carr 
accordingly  selected  all  his  best  horses,  which  could  stand 
a  hard  run,  and  gave  orders  for  the  wagon-train  to  follow 
as  fast  as  possible,  while  he  pushed  ahead  on  a  forced 
march.  At  the  same  time  I  was  ordered  to  pick  out  five 
or  six  of  the  best  Pawnees,  and  go  on  in  advance  of  the 
command,  keeping  ten  or  twelve  miles  ahead  on  the  trail, 
so  that  when  we  overtook  the  Indians  we  could  find  out 
the  location  of  their  camp,  and  send  word  to  the  troops 
before  they  came  in  sight,  thus  affording  ample  time  to 
arrange  a  plan  for  the  capture  of  the. village. 

"  After  having  gone  about  ten  miles  in  advance  of  the 
regiment,  we  began  to  move  very  cautiously,  as  we  were 
now  evidently  nearing  the  Indians.  We  looked  carefully 
over  the  summits  of  the  hills  before  exposing  ourselves  to 
plain  view,  and  at  last  we  discovered  the  village  encamped 
in  the  sand-hills  south  of  the  South  Platte  River  at  Sum- 
mit Springs.  Here  I  left  the  Pawnee  scouts  to  keep 
watch  while  I  went  back  and  informed  General  Carr  that 
the  Indians  were  in  sight. 

"  The  general  at  once  ordered  his  men  to  tighten  their 
saddles  and  otherwise  prepare  for  action.  Soon  all  was 
excitement  among  the  officers  and  soldiers,  every  one 
being  anxious  to  charge  the  village.  I  now  changed  my 
horse  for  old  Buckskin  Joe,  who  had  been  led  for  me 
thus  far,  and  was  comparatively  fresh.     Acting  on  my 


414  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

suggestion,  the  general  made  a  circuit  to  the  north,  be- 
lieving that  if  the  Indians  had  their  scouts  out,  they 
would  naturally  be  watching  in  the  direction  whence  they 
had  come.  When  we  had  passed  the  Indians  and  were 
between  them  and  the  Platte  River,  we  turned  toward  the 
left  and  started  for  the  village. 

"  As  we  halted  on  the  top  of  the  hill  overlooking  the 
camp  of  the  unsuspecting  Indians,  General  Carr  called 
out  to  his  bugler  :  '  Sound  the  charge  !  '  The  bugler  for 
a  moment  became  intensely  excited,  and  actually  forgot 
the  notes.  The  general  again  sang  out  :  '  Sound  the 
charge  I '  and  yet  the  bugler  was  unable  to  obey  the 
command.  Quartermaster  Hays,  who  had  obtained  per- 
mission to  accompany  the  expedition,  was  riding  near 
the  general,  and  comprehending  the  dilemma  of  the  man, 
rushed  up  to  him,  jerked  the  bugle  from  his  hands,  and 
sounded  the  charge  himself  in  clear  and  distinct  notes. 
As  the  troops  rushed  forward,  he  threw  the  bugle  away, 
then,  drawing  his  pistols,  was  among  the  first  men  that 
entered  the  village. 

"  The  Indians  had  just  driven  up  their  horses  and  were 
preparing  to  make  a  move  of  the  camp,  when  they  saw 
the  soldiers  coming  down  upon  them.  A  great  many  of 
them  succeeded  in  jumping  upon  their  ponies,  and  leaving 
everything  behind  them,  advanced  out  of  the  village  and 
prepared  to  meet  the  charge ;  but  upon  second  thought 
they  quickly  concluded  that  it  was  useless  to  try  to  check 
us,  and  those  who  Avere  mounted  rapidly  rode  away,  while 
the  others  on  foot  fled  for  safety  to  the  neighbouring  hills. 
We  went  through  their  village,  shooting  right  and  left  at 
everything  we  saw.  The  Pawnees,  the  regular  soldiers, 
and  officers  were  all  mixed  up  together,  and  the  Sioux 
were  flying  in  every  direction. 

"  The  pursuit  continued  until  darkness  made  it  impos- 
sible to  longer  follow  the  Indians,  who  had  scattered  and 


BUFFALO   bill's   ADVENTURES  415 

were  heading  oft'  in  every  direction  like  a  brood  of  young 
quails, 

"  It  was  nearly  sunrise  when  '  boots  and  saddles '  was 
sounded,  breakfast  having  been  disposed  of  at  the  first 
streak  of  dawn.  The  command  started  in  a  most  season- 
able time,  but  finding  that  the  trail  was  all  broken  up,  it 
was  deemed  advisable  to  separate  into  companies,  each  to 
follow  a  different  one. 

"  The  company  which  I  headed  struck  out  toward  the 
northwest  over  a  route  indicating  the  march  of  about  one 
hundred  Indians,  and  we  followed  this  for  nearly  two 
days.  At  a  short  bend  of  the  Platte  a  new  trail  was  dis- 
covered leading  into  the  one  the  comj)any  was  following, 
and  at  this  point  it  was  evident  that  a  junction  had  been 
made.  Farther  along,  evidences  of  a  reunion  of  the  entire 
village  increased,  and  now  it  began  to  appear  that  farther 
pursuit  would  be  somewhat  hazardous,  owing  to  the  greater 
force  of  the  Indians.  But  there  were  plenty  of  brave  men 
in  the  company,  and  nearly  all  were  anxious  to  meet  the 
Indians,  however  great  their  numbers  might  be.  This 
anxiety  was  appeased  on  the  third  day,  when  a  party  of 
about  six  hundred  Sioux  was  discovered  riding  in  close 
ranks  near  the  Platte.  The  discovery  was  mutual,  and 
there  was  immediate  preparation  for  battle  on  both  sides. 
Owing  to  the  overwhelming  force  of  the  Indians,  extreme 
caution  became  necessary,  and  instead  of  advancing  boldly, 
the  soldiers  sought  advantageous  ground.  Seeing  this,  the 
Indians  became  convinced  that  there  had  been  a  division 
of  General  Carr's  command,  and  that  the  company  before 
them  was  a  fragmentary  part  of  the  expedition ;  they 
therefore  assumed  the  aggressive,  charging  us  until  we 
were  compelled  to  retire  to  a  ravine  and  act  on  the  de- 
fensive. The  attack  was  made  with  such  caution  that 
the  soldiers  fell  back  without  undue  haste,  and  had  amjjle 
opportunity  to  secure  their  horses  in  the  natural  pit,  which 


416  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

was  !i  ravine  that  during  wet  seasons  formed  a  branch  of 
the  Platte. 

"After  circling  about  the  soldiers  with  the  view  of 
measuring  their  full  strength,  the  Indians,  comprehend- 
ing how  small  was  the  number,  made  a  desperate  charge 
from  two  sides,  getting  so  near  us  that  several  of  the 
soldiers  were  badly  wounded  b}'-  arrows.  But  the  Indians 
were  received  with  such  a  withering  lire  that  they  fell 
back  in  confusion,  leaving  twenty  of  their  warriors  on 
the  ground.  Another  charge  resulted  like  the  first,  with 
heavy  loss  to  the  redskins,  which  so  discouraged  them 
that  they  drew  off  and  held  a  protracted  council.  After 
discussing  the  situation  among  themselves  for  more  than 
an  hour  they  separated,  one  body  making  off  as  though 
they  intended  to  leave,  but  I  understood  too  well  to  allow 
the  soldiers  to  be  deceived. 

"  The  Indians  who  remained  again  began  to  ride  in  a 
circle  around  us,  but  maintained  a  safe  distance,  out  of 
rifle  range.  Seeing  an  especially  well-mounted  Indian 
riding  at  the  head  of  a  squad,  passing  around  in  the 
same  circle  more  than  a  dozen  times,  I  decided  to  take  my 
chances  for  dismounting  the  chief  —  as  he  proved  to  be  — 
and  to  accomplish  this  purpose  I  crawled  on  my  hands 
and  knees  three  hundred  yards  up  the  ravine,  stopping  at 
a  point  which  I  considered  would  be  in  range  of  the  Indian 
when  he  should  again  make  the  circuit.  My  judgment 
proved  correct,  for  soon  the  Indian  was  seen  loping  his 
pony  through  the  grass,  and  as  he  slackened  speed  to 
cross  the  ravine,  I  rose  up  and  fired,  the  aim  being  so 
well  taken  that  the  chief  tumbled  to  the  ground,  while 
his  horse,  after  running  a  few  hundred  yards,  approached 
the  soldiers,  one  of  whom  ran  out  and  caught  hold  of  the 
lone  lariat  attached  to  the  bridle,  and  thus  secured  the 
animal.  When  I  returned  to  the  company,  all  of  who^n 
hid  witnessed  my  feat  of  killing  an  Indian  at  a  range  of 


BUFFALO    BILLS   ADVENTURES 


417 


full}'  four  liundrcd  yards,  by  general  consent  the  liorse  of 
the  victim  was  given  to  me. 

"This  Indian  whom  1  killed  proved  to  be  Tall  IJull, 
one  of  the  most  able  chiefs  the  Sioux  ever  had  ;  and  his 
death  so  affected  the  Indians  that  they  at  once  retreated 
without  further  attempt  to  dislodge  us. 

"  Some  days  after  this  occurrence  General  Carr's  com- 
mand was  brought  together  again,  and  had  an  engagement 
with  the  Sioux,  in  whit'h  more  than  three  hundred  war- 
riors and  a  large  number  of  ponies  were  captured,  to- 
gether with  several  hundred  squaws,  among  the  latter 
being  Tall  Bull's  widow,  who  told  with  pathetic  interest 
how  the  Prairie  Chief  ^  had  killed  her  husband. 

1  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  this  savage,  instead  of  being  moved  with 
hatred  toward  Colonel  Cody,  as  a  civilized  woman  would  have  been  under 
similar  circumstances,  actually  looked  upon  him  with  special  favour  and 
esteemed  it  quite  an  honour  that  her  husband,  a  great  warrior  himself, 
should  have  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  such  a  brave  man  as  the 
Prairie  Chief,  the  name  the  Indians  had  given  to  the  colonel. 


v"-X     ■'•^^^: 


..  ."^ 


2e 


CHAPTER  XVII 


BUFFALO    bill's  ADVENTURES   CONTINUED HUNTING  AT   FORT 

M'PHERSON INDIANS     STEAL     HIS    FAVOURITE    PONY THE 

CHASE  SCOUTING     UNDER      GENERAL      DUNCAN  PAWNEE 

SENTRIES A   DESERTED    SQUAW A  JOKE   ON   MCCARTHY 

_  SCOUTING    FOR    CAPTAIN    MEINHOLD TEXAS    JACK BUCK- 
SKIN  JOE SITTING  BULL    AND    THE    INDIAN  WAR    OF    1876 

MASSACRE    OF    CUSTER    AND    HIS    COMMAND BUFFALO    BILL 

TAKES    THE    FIRST    SCALP    FOR    CUSTER 

OF    CUT    NOSE CARRIES     DESPATCHES    FOR     TERRY 

BY    TO    THE    GENERAL 


YELLOW    HAND,  SON 


GOOD- 


Ccficrd  CACuslcr 


REMAINED  at  Fort 

Sedgwick  during  the 
winter,  and  early  the 
following  spring  I  re- 
turned to  Fort  McPher- 
son,  under  orders  to 
report  to  Major-Gen- 
Emory    of     the     Fifth 


eral 

Cavalry,  who  had  been  ap- 
%'^r/  pointed  commander  of  the 
District  of  the  Republican, 
with  headquarters  at  that  post. 
As  the  command  had  been  almost  continuously  in  the 
field,  it  was  generally  thought  that  we  were  to  have  a 
long  rest.  During  the  fall  of  1869  there  were  two  or 
three  scouting  expeditions  sent  out,  but  nothing  of  very 
great  importance  was  accomplished  by  them.  There  was 
plenty  of  game  in  the  vicinity,  and  within  a  day's  ride 

418 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTER's   COMMAND  419 

there  were  large  lierds  of  deer,  antelope,  and  elk,  wliicli 
I  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  hunting. 

"  Early  one  morning  in  the  spring  of  1870  the  Indians, 
who  had  approached  the  post  during  the  night,  stole 
twenty-one  head  of  horses  from  a  government  contractor. 
They  also  ran  off  some  of  the  government  animals,  and 
among  the  number  my  pony.  Powder  Face.  Company 
I  of  the  Fifth  Cavahy  was  immediately  ordered  out 
after  the  savages,  and  I  was  directed  to  accompany  them 
as  trailer.  We  discovered  their  tracks  after  some  diffi- 
culty, as  the  Indians  were  constantly  trying  to  hide  them, 
and  we  followed  them  sixty  miles,  when  darkness  set  in. 

'*  We  Avere  within  about  four  miles  of  Red  Willow 
Creek,  and  I  felt  confident  the  Indians  would  camp  that 
niglit  in  the  vicinity.  Advising  the  commanding  olhcer 
to  halt  his  company  and  '  lay  low,'  I  proceeded  on  to  the 
creek,  where,  moving  around  cautiously,  I  suddenly  dis- 
covered horses  feeding  in  a  bend  of  the  stream  on  the 
opposite  side.  I  hurried  back  to  the  troops  with  the  in- 
formation, and  Lieutenant  Thomas  moved  his  company 
to  the  bank  of  the  creek,  Avitli  the  intention  of  remaining 
there  until  daylight,  and  then,  if  possible,  surprise  the 
Indians. 

"  Just  at  break  of  day  we  mounted  our  horses,  and  after 
riding  a  short  distance  we  ascended  a  slight  elevation, 
when,  not  over  -one  hundred  yards  distant,  we  looked 
down  into  the  Indian  camp.  The  Indians,  preparing  to 
make  an  early  start,  had  driven  up  their  horses  and  were 
in  the  act  of  mounting,  when  they  saw  us  charging  down 
upon  them.  In  a  moment  they  sprang  upon  their  ponies 
and  dashed  away.  Had  it  no^  been  for  the  creek,  which 
lay  between  us  and  them,  we  would  have  got  them  before 
they  could  have  mounted  their  horses  ;  but  as  it  was 
rather  miry,  we  were  unexpectedl}-  delayed.  The  Indians 
tired  some  shots  at  us  while  we  were  crossing,  but  as  soon 


420  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

as  we  got  over  we  went  for  them  in  liot  pursnit,  A  few 
of  the  redskins,  not  having-  time  to  mount,  had  started  on 
foot  toward  the  brush.     One  of  these  was  killed. 

"  A  number  of  our  soldiers,  who  had  been  detailed  before 
the  charge  to  gather  up  any  of  the  Indian  horses  that 
might  be  stampeded,  succeeded  in  capturing  thirty-two. 
1  hurriedly  looked  over  them  to  see  if  Powder  Face  was 
there,  but  he  was  not.  Starting  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives  I 
finally  espied  an  Indian  mounted  on  my  favourite,  dashing 
away  and  leading  all  the  others.  We  continued  the  chase 
for  two  or  three  miles,  overtaking  a  couple  of  Indians  who 
were  mounted  on  one  horse.  Coming  up  behind  them  I 
fired  my  rifle,  when  they  were  about  thirty  feet  away  ;  the 
ball  jjassed  through  the  backs  of  both,  and  they  fell  head- 
long to  the  ground  ;  but  I  made  no  stop,  however,  just 
then,  for  I  had  my  eye  on  the  savage  who  was  riding 
Powder  Face.  It  seemed  to  be  fun  for  him  to  run  away 
from  us,  and  run  away  he  did,  for  the  last  I  saw  of  him  he 
was  going  over  a  divide  about  three  miles  away.  I  bade 
him  adieu.  On  my  way  back  to  the  Indian  camp  I  stopped 
and  secured  the  war-bonnets  and  accoutrements  of  the 
pair  I  had  killed,  and  at  the  same  time  gently  raised  their 
hair. 

"  We  were  feeling  rather  tired  and  hungry  as  we  had 
started  out  on  the  trail  thirty-six  hours  before  without 
breakfast  and  taking  no  rations  with  us  ;  but  there  was  no 
murmur  of  complaint.  In  the  abandoned  camp,  however, 
we  had  sufficient  dried  buffalo  meat  to  give  us  all  a  meal, 
and,  after  remaining  there  for  two  hours  to  rest  our  ani- 
mals, we  commenced  our  return  trip  to  Fort  McPherson, 
where  we  arrived  at  night,  having  travelled  one  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  in  two  days. 

"  This  being  the  first  fight  Lieutenant  Thomas  had  ever 
commanded  in,  he  felt  highly  elated  over  his  success,  and 
hoped  that  his  name  Avould  be  mentioned  in  the  special 


MA.SSAl'UK   (»F    CL'STER's   COMMAND  421 

orders  for  c^allaiitry  ;  sure  enoug'li,  when  we  returned  both 
he,  myself,  and  the  wliole  command  received  complimentary 
mention  in  a  special  order.  This  lie  certainly  deserved, 
for  he  was  a  brave,  energetic,  dashing  little  officer.  The 
war-bonnets  which  I  had  captured  I  turned  over  to  Gen- 
eral Carr,  with  the  request  that  he  present  them  to  General 
Augur,  whose  daughters  were  visiting  at  the  post  at  the 
time. 

"  Shortly  after  this  another  expedition  was  organized 
at  Fort  McPherson  for  the  Republican  River  country.  It 
was  commanded  by  General  Duncan,  who  was  a  jolly, 
blustering  old  fellow,  and  the  officers  who  knew  him  well 
said  that  we  would  have  a  good  time,  as  he  was  very  fond 
of  hunting.  He  was  a  good  fighter,  and  one  of  the  officers 
said  that  an  Indian  bullet  never  could  hurt  him,  as  he  had 
been  shot  in  the  head  with  a  cannon-ball  which  had  not 
injured  him  in  the  least,  but  had  glanced  off  and  killed  one 
of  the  toughest  mules  in  the  army. 

"  The  Pawnee  scouts,  who  had  been  mustered  out 
of  service  during  the  winter  of  1869-1870,  we  reorgan- 
ized to  accompany  this  expedition.  I  was  glad  of  this, 
as  I  had  become  quite  attached  to  one  of  the  officers, 
Major  North,  and  to  many  of  the  Indians.  The  only 
white  scout  we  had  at  the  post,  besides  myself,  at  that 
time,  w^as  John  Y.  Nelson,  wdiose  Indian  name  was  Sha- 
Cha-Cha-Opoyeo,i  which  interpreted  means  Red  Willow 
fill  the  Pipe.  This  man  is  a  character  in  his  way;  he 
has  a  Sioux  squaw  for  a  wife,  and  consequently  a  half- 
breed  family. 

"We  started  out  from  the  post  with  the  regimental 
band  playing  the  lively  air  of  'The  Girl  I  left  behind 
Me.'  We  made  but  a  short  march  that  day,  and  camped 
at  night  at  the  head  of  Fox  Creek.     Next  morning  Gen- 

1  Nelson  is  still  shootiii<?  Indians  from  the  top  of  the  old  Deadwood 
stage-coach  in  the  Wild  West  show. 


422  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TKxVlL 

eral  Duncan  sent  me  word  by  his  orderly  that  I  was  to 
bring  up  my  gun  and  shoot  at  a  mark  with  him  ;  but  I 
can  assure  the  reader  that  I  did  not  feel  much  like  shoot- 
ing anything  except  myself,  for  on  the  previous  night  I  had 
returned  to  Fort  McPherson  and  spent  several  hours  in 
interviewing  the  sutler's  store  in  company  with  Major 
Brown.  I  looked  around  for  my  gun,  and  found  that 
I  had  left  it  behind.  The  last  that  I  could  remember 
about  it  was  that  I  had  it  at  the  sutler's  store.  I  in- 
formed Major  Brown  of  my  loss,  who  said  that  I  was 
a  nice  scout  to  start  out  without  a  gun.  I  replied  that 
that  was  not  the  worst  of  it,  as  General  Duncan  had  sent 
for  me  to  shoot  a  match  with  him,  and  I  did  not  know 
what  to  do  ;  for  if  the  old  gentleman  discovered  my  pre- 
dicament, he  would  very  likely  severely  reprimand  me. 

"  '  Well,  Cody,'  said  he,  '  the  best  you  can  do  is  to  make 
some  excuse,  and  then  go  and  borrow  a  gun  from  some 
of  the  men,  and  tell  the  general  you  lent  yours  to  some 
man  to  go  hunting  with  to-day.  While  we  are  waiting 
here,  I  will  send  back  to  the  post  and  get  your  rifle  for 
you.'  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  gun  from  John  Nelson, 
and  then,  marching  up  to  the  general's  headquarters,  I 
shot  the  desired  match,  which  resulted  in  his  favour. 

"  This  was  the  first  scout  the  Pawnees  had  been  on 
under  the  command  of  General  Duncan,  and  in  station- 
ing his  guards  around  the  camp,  he  posted  them  in  a 
manner  entirely  different  from  General  Carr  and  Colonel 
Royall,  as  he  insisted  that  the  different  posts  should  call 
out  the  hour  of  the  night  thus  :  — 

"  '  Post  No.  1,  nine  o'clock,  all  is  well !  '  etc. 

"  The  Pawnees,  who  had  their  regular  turns  at  stand- 
ing upon  guard,  were  ordered  to  call  the  hour  the  same 
as  the  white  soldiers.  This  was  very  difficult  for  them 
to  do,  as  there  were  but  few  of  them  who  could  express 
themselves  in  English.     Major  North  explained  to  them 


MASSACRE   OF    CUSTER's   COMMAND  423 

that  when  tlie  man  on  post  next  to  them  shoukl  call  out 
the  hour,  they  must  call  it  also,  copying  liim  as  nearly 
as  possible.  It  was  very  amusing  to  hear  them  do  this. 
They  would  try  to  remember  what  the  other  man  had  said 
on  the  post  next  to  them.  For  instance,  a  white  soldier 
would  call  out,  '  Post  No.  1,  half-past  nine  o'clock,  all 
is  well  !  '  The  Indian  standing  next  to  him  knew  that 
he  was  bound  to  say  something  in  English,  and  he  would 
sing  out  something  like  the  following:  — 

"  '  Poss  number  half-pass   five  cents  —  go  to I     I 

don't  care  I '  This  system  was  really  so  ridiculous  and 
amusing  that  the  general  had  to  give  it  up,  and  the  or- 
der was  accordingly  countermanded. 

"  Nothing  of  any  great  interest  occurred  on  this  march, 
until  one  day,  while  proceeding  up  Prairie  Dog  Creek, 
Major  North  and  myself  went  out  in  advance  of  the  com- 
mand several  miles  and  killed  a  number  of  buffaloes. 
Night  was  approaching,  and  I  began  to  look  around  for 
a  suitable  camping-ground  for  the  command.  Major 
North  dismounted  from  his  horse  and  was  resting,  while 
I  rode  down  the  stream  to  see  if  there  was  plenty  of  grass 
in  the  vicinity.  I  found  an  excellent  camping-spot, 
and,  returning  to  Major  North,  told  liim  that  I  would 
ride  over  the  hill  a  little  way,  so  that  the  advance  guard 
could  see  me.  This  I  did  ;  and  when  the  advance  came 
in  sight,  I  dismounted  and  lay  down  upon  the  grass  to 
rest. 

"Suddenly  I  heard  three  or  four  shots,  and  in  a  few 
moments  Major  North  came  dashing  up  toward  me,  pur- 
sued by  eight  or  ten  Indians.  I  instantly  sprang  into  my 
saddle,  and  fired  a  few  shots  at  the  Indians,  who  by  this 
time  had  all  come  in  sight,  to  the  numl)er  of  fifty.  We 
turned  our  horses  and  ran,  the  bullets  flying  after  us 
thick  and  fast,  my  whip  being  shot  from  my  hand  and 
daylight  being  put  through  the  crown  of  my  hat.     We 


424  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

were  in  close  quarters,  when  suddenly  Lieutenant  Yolkmar 
came  galloping  up  to  our  relief  with  several  soldiers ; 
and  the  Indians,  seeing  them,  whirled  and  retreated. 
As  soon  as  Major  North  got  in  sight  of  his  Pawnees  he 
began  riding  in  a  circle.  This  was  a  sign  to  them  that 
there  were  hostile  Indians  in  front  ;  and  in  a  moment 
the  Pawnees  broke  ranks  pell-mell,  and,  with  Major 
North  at  their  head,  started  for  the  flying  warriors.  The 
rest  of  the  command  j)ushed  forward,  also,  and  chased 
the  enemy  for  three  or  four  miles,  killing  three  of 
them . 

"  But  this  was  a  wrong  move  on  our  part,  as  their 
village  was  on  Prairie  Dog  Creek,  while  they  led  us  in 
a  different  direction  ;  one  Indian  only  kept  straight  on 
up  the  creek  —  a  messenger  to  the  village.  Some  of  the 
command,  who  had  followed  him,  stirred  up  the  village 
and  accelerated  its  departure.  We  finally  got  back  to 
the  main  force,  and  then  learned  that  we  had  made  a 
great  mistake.     Now  commenced  another  stern  chase. 

"  The  second  day  that  we  had  been  following  these 
Indians  we  came  upon  an  old  squaw,  whom  they  had  left 
on  the  prairie  to  die.  Her  people  had  built  for  her  a 
little  shade  or  lodge,  and  had  given  her  some  provisions, 
sufficient  to  last  her  on  her  trip  to  the  happy  hunting- 
grounds.  This  the  Indians  often  do  when  pursued  by  an 
enemy  and  one  of  their  number  becomes  too  old  to  travel 
any  longer.  This  squaw  was  recognized  by  John  Nelson, 
who  said  she  was  a  relative  of  his  wife.  From  her  we 
learned  that  tlie  flying  Indians  were  known  as  Pawnee- 
Killer's  band,  and  that  they  had  lately  killed  Buck's  sur- 
veying party,  consisting  of  eight  or  nine  men,  the  mas- 
sacre having  occurred  a  few  days  before  on  Beaver  Creek. 
We  knew  that  they  had  had  a  fight  with  the  surveyors, 
as  we  found  quite  a  number  of  surveying  instruments, 
which  had  been  left  in  the  abandoned  camp.     We  drove 


MASSACIJE   OV   rrsTEIl's   rOMMAM)  425 

these  Indians  across  the  Phitte  River  and  then  retnrned 
to  Fort  ]MePherson,  bringing  the  ohl  .si^uaw  with  us; 
from  there  she  was  sent  to  the  Spotted  Tail  agency. 

"  Fort  McPherson  was  in  the  centre  of  a  fine  came 
country,  in  wliicli  buffah)  were  particularly  plentiful,  and 
though  fairly  surrounded  by  hostile  Indians,  it  offered  so 
many  attractions  for  sportsmen  that  several  lumting-par- 
ties  braved  the  dangers  for  the  pleasures  of  l)uffalo-chas- 
ing.  In  September,  1871,  General  Sheridan  brought  a 
number  of  friends  out  to  the  post  for  a  grand  liunt,  com- 
ing by  way  of  North  Platte  in  a  special  car,  and  thence 
by  government  Avagons  to  the  fort,  whicli  was  only  eigh- 
teen miles  from  that  station. 

"Soon  after  the  departure  of  General  Sheridan's  party, 
General  Carr  started  out  on  a  twenty  days'  scout,  not  so 
much  for  the  purpose  of  fighting  Indians,  but  more  for 
the  object  of  taking  some  friends  on  a  hunt.  His  guests 
were  a  couple  of  Englishmen  —  whose  names  I  cannot 
now  remember  —  and  Mr.  McCarthy  of  New  York,  who 
was  a  relative  of  General  Emory.  The  command  con- 
sisted of  three  companies  of  the  Fifth  Cavalry,  one  com- 
j)any  of  Pawnee  Indians,  and  twentj'-five  wagons.  Of 
course  I  was  called  on  to  accompany  the  expedition. 

"  One  day,  after  we  had  been  out  from  the  post  for 
some  little  time,  I  was  hunting  on  Deer  Creek,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  McCarthy,  about  eight  miles  from  the  com- 
mand. I  had  been  wishing  for  several  days  to  play  a 
joke  on  him,  and  had  arranged  a  plan  with  Captain  Lute 
North  to  carry  it  into  execution.  I  had  informed  North 
at  about  what  time  we  would  be  on  Deer  Creek,  and  it 
was  agreed  that  he  should  appear  in  the  vicinity  with 
some  of  his  Pawnees,  who  were  to  throw  their  blankets 
around  them,  and  come  dashing  down  upon  us,  firing  and 
whooping  in  true  Indian  style,  wliile  he  was  either  to 
conceal  or  disguise  himself.     This  programme  was  faith- 


426  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

fully  and  completely  carried  out.  T  had  been  talking 
about  Indians  to  McCarthy,  and  he  had  become  consider- 
ably excited,  when  just  as  we  turned  a  bend  of  the  creek, 
we  saw  not  half  a  mile  from  us  about  twenty  Indians, 
who  instantly  started  for  us  on  a  gallop,  firing  their  guns 
and  yelling  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 

"'McCarthy,  shall  we  dismount  and  fight,  or  run?' 
said  I. 

"•  He  •  didn't  wait  to  reply,  but,  wheeling  his  horse, 
started  at  full  speed  down  the  creek,  losing  his  hat  and 
dropping  his  gun  ;  away  he  Avent,  never  once  looking 
back  to  see  if  he  was  being  pursued.  I  tried  to  stop  him 
by  }  elling  at  him  and  saying  that  it  was  all  right,  as  the 
India-is  were  Pawnees.  Unfortunately  he  did  not  hear 
me,  but  kept  straiglit  on,  not  stopping  his  horse  until  he 
reached  the  camp. 

"I  knew  that  he  would  tell  General  Carr  that  the 
Indians  had  jumped  him,  and  that  tlie  general  would 
soon  start  out  with  the  troops.  So  as  soon  as  the  Paw- 
nees rode  up  to  me  I  told  them  to  remain  there  while  I 
went  after  my  friend.  I  rode  after  him  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble, but  he  had  arrived  at  the  command  some  time  before 
me  ;  and  when  I  got  there  the  general  had,  as  I  had  sus- 
pected he  would  do,  ordered  out  two  companies  of  cavalry 
to  go  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians.  I  told  the  general  that 
the  Indians  were  only  some  Pawnees,  who  had  been  out 
hunting  and  that  they  had  merely  played  a  joke  upon  us. 
I  forgot  to  inform  him  that  I  had  put  up  the  trick,  but  as 
he  was  always  fond  of  a  good  joke  himself,  he  did  not  get 
very  angry.  I  had  picked  up  McCarthy's  liat  and  gun, 
which  I  returned  to  him,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he 
discovered  who  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  affair. 

"•  A  short  time  after  this,  the  Fifth  Cavalry  was  ordered 
to  Arizona,  a  not  very  desirable  country  to  soldier  in.  I 
had  become  greatly  attached  to  the  officers  of  the  regi- 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTKR's   COMMAND  427 

lueiit,  having-  \k\'1{  willi  tliciii  continually  for  over  three 
years,  and  liad  about  made  up  my  mind  to  aceompany 
tliem,  when  a  letter  was  received  from  General  Sheridan 
instructing  the  commanding  officer  'not  to  take  Cody  with 
him,'  and  saying  that  I  was  to  remain  in  my  old  position. 
In  a  few  days  the  command  left  for  its  destination,  taking 
the  cars  at  McPherson  Station,  where  I  bade  my  old 
friends  adieu.  During  the  next  few  weeks  I  had  but 
little  to  do,  as  the  post  was  garrisoned  by  infantr3%  await- 
ing the  arrival  of  the  Tlurd  Cavalry,  commanded  by  Gen- 
eral Reynolds.  They  had  been  on  duty  for  some  time  in 
Arizona,  where  they  had  acquired  quite  a  reputation  on 
account  of  their  Indian  fighting  qualities.  Shortly  after 
their  arrival  a  small  party  of  Indians  made  a  dash  on 
McPherson  Station,  about  five  miles  from  the  fort,  killino- 
tw^o  or  three  men  and  running  off  quite  a  large  number  of 
horses.  Captain  Meinhold  and  Lieutenant  Lawson  with 
their  company  were  ordered  out  to  pursue  and  punish  the 
Indians  if  possible.  I  was  the  guide  of  the  expedition, 
and  had  an  assistant,  T.  B.  Omohundro,  better  known  as 
'  Texas  Jack,'  and  who  was  a  scout  at  the  post. 

"  Finding  the  trail  I  followed  it  for  two  days,  although 
it  was  difficult  trailing  because  the  redskins  had  taken 
every  possible  precaution  to  conceal  their  tracks.  On  the 
second 'day  Captain  Meinhold  went  into  camp  on  the 
South  Fork  of  the  Loupe,  at  a  point  where  the  trail  was 
badly  scattered.  Six  men  were  detailed  to  accompany 
me  on  a  scout  in  search  of  the  camj)  of  fugitives.  We 
had  gone  but  a  short  distance  when  we  discovered  Indians 
camped,  not  more  than  a  mile  away,  with  horses  grazing 
near  by.  They  were  only  a  small  party,  and  1  determined 
to  charge  upon  them  with  my  six  men,  rather  than  return 
to  the  command,  because  I  feared  they  would  see  us  as  we 
went  back,  and  then  they  would  get  away  from  us  en- 
tirely.    I  asked  the  men  if  they  were  willing  to  attempt 


428  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAIL 

it,  and  they  replied  that  they  woukl  follow  me  wherever 
I  would  lead  them.  Tliat  was  the  kind  of  spirit  that 
pleased  me  ;  and  we  immediately  moved  forward  on  tlie 
enemy,  getting  as  close  to  them  as  possible  without  being 
seen. 

"  I  finally  gave  the  signal  to  charge,  and  we  dashed 
into  the  little  camp  with  a  yell.  Five  Indians  sprang 
out  of  a  willow  teepee,  and  greeted  us  \yitli  a  volley,  and 
we  returned  the  lire.  I  was  riding  Buckskin  Joe,  who 
with  a  fe-w  jumps  brought  me  up  to  the  teepee,  followed 
by  my  men.  We  nearl}^  ran  over  the  Indians,  who  were 
endeavouring  to  reach  their  horses  on  the  oj)posite  side  of 
the  creek.  Just  as  one  was  jumping  the  narrow  stream  a 
bullet  from  my  old  '  Lucretia '  overtook  him.  He  never 
reached  the  other  bank,  but  dropped  dead  in  the  water. 
Those  of  the  Indians  who  were  guarding  the  horses,  see- 
ing what  was  going  on  at  the  camp,  came  rushing  to  the 
rescue  of  their  friends.  I  now  counted  thirteen  braves, 
but  as  we  had  already  disposed  of  two,  we  had  only 
eleven  to  take  care  of.  The  odds  were  nearly  two  to  one 
against  us. 

"  While  the  Indian  reenforcements  were  approaching 
the  camp  I  jumped  the  creek  with  Buckskin  Joe,  to  meet 
them,  expecting  our  party  would  follow  me ;  but  as  they 
could  not  induce  their  horses  to  make  the  leap,  I  was  the 
only  one  who  got  over.  I  ordered  the  sergeant  to  dis- 
mount his  men,  leaving  one  to  hold  the  horses,  and  come 
over  with  the  rest  and  help  me  drive  the  Indians  off. 
Before  they  could  do  this,  two  mounted  warriors  closed 
in  on  me  and  were  shooting  at  short  range.  I  returned 
their  fire  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  one  of  them 
fall  from  his  horse.  At  tliis  moment  I  felt  blood  trickling 
down  my  forehead,  and  hastily  running  my  hand  through 
my  hair  I  discovered  that  I  liad  received  a  scalp-wound. 
The   Indian  who  had   shot  me  was  not   more  than   ten 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTEli's    COMMAND  429 

ytirtls  awiu',  and  wlicii  liu  saw  his  partner  tuniljlc  from 
Lis  saddle  lie  turned  to  run. 

By  this  time  the  soldiers  had  crossed  the  creek  to  assist 
me,  and  were  blazing  away  at  the  other  Indians.  Urging 
Buckskin  Joe  forward,  I  was  soon  alongside  of  the  chap 
who  had  wounded  me,  when,  raising  myself  in  the  stirrups, 
I  shot  him  through  the  head. 

"  The  reports  of  our  guns  had  been  heard  by  Captain 
Meinhold,  who  at  once  started  with  his  company  up  the 
creek  to  our  aid,  and  when  the  remaining  Indians,  Avhom 
we  were  still  fighting,  saw  these  reenforcements  coming, 
they  whirled  their  horses  and  fled  ;  as  their  steeds  were 
quite  fresh  they  made  their  escape.  However,  we  killed 
six  out  of  the  thirteen  Indians,  and  captured  most  of 
their  stolen  stock.  Our  loss  was  one  man  killed,  and 
another — myself  —  slightly  wounded.  One  of  our 
horses  was  killed,  and  Buckskin  Joe  was  wounded,  but 
I  didn't  discover  the  fact  until  some  time  afterward,  as 
he  had  been  shot  in  the  breast  and  showed  no  signs  of 
having  received  a  scratch  of  any  kind.  Securing  the 
scalps  of  the  dead  Indians  and.  other  trophies  we  returned 
to  the  fort. 

"  I  made  several  other  scouts  during  the  summer  with 
different  officers  of  the  Third  Cavftlryy  one  being  with 
^lajor  Aleck  ^loore,  a  good  officer,  vrith  whom  I  was  out 
for  thirty  days.  Another  long  one  was  with  ]Major  Cur- 
tis, with  whom  I  foUoVved  some  Indians  from  the  South 
Platte  River  to  Fort  Randall  on  the  Missouri  River,  in 
Dakota,  on  which  trip  the  command  ran  out  of  rations 
and  for  fifteen  days  subsisted  entirely  upon  the  game  we 
killed. 

"■  In  1876  the  great  Sioux  war  was  inaugurated. 
Colonel  Mills  had  written  me  several  letters  saying  that 
General  Crook  was  anxious  for  me  to  accompany  his 
command,  and  1  promised  to  do  so,  intending  to  overtake 


430  THE    GREAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

him  in  the  Powder  River  country.  But  when  I  arrived 
at  Chicago,  on  my  way  West,  I  learned  that  my  ohl  regi- 
ment, the  galhint  Fifth  Cavalry,  was  on  its  way  back 
from  Arizona  to  join  General  Crook,  and  that  my  old 
commander.  General  Carr,  was  in  cdmnmnd.  He  had 
written  to  military  headquarters  at  Chicago  to  learn  my 
whereabouts,  as  he  wished  to  secure  me  as  his  guide  and 
chief  of  scouts.  I  then  gave  up  the  idea  of  overtaking 
General  Crook,  and  hastened  on  to  Cheyenne,  where  the 
Fifth  Cavalry  had  already  arrived.  I  was  met  at  the 
depot  by  Lieutenant  King,  adjutant  of  the.  regiment,  who 
had  been  sent  down  from  Fort  D,  A.  Russell  for  that 
purpose  by  General  Carr,  who  had  learned  by  a  telegram 
from  military  headquarters  at  Chicago  that  I  was  on  the 
way.  I  accompanied  the  lieutenant  on  horseback  to  the 
camp,  and  as  we  rode,  one  of  the  boys  shouted,  '  Here's 
Buffalo  Bill  I  '  Soon  after  there  came  three  hearty  cheers 
from  the  regiment.  Officers  and  men  were  all  glad  to 
see  me,  and  I  was  equally  delighted  to  meet  them  once 
more.  The  general  at  once  appointed  me  his  guide  and 
chief  of  scouts. 

"  The  next  morning  the  command  pulled  out  for  Fort 
Laramie,  and  on  reaching  the  post  we  found  General 
Sheridan  there,  accompanied  by  General  Frye  and  Gen- 
eral Forsythe,  en  route  to  Red  Cloud  agency.  As  the 
command  was  to  remain  here  a  few  days,  I  accompanied 
General  Sheridan  to  Red  Cloud  and  back,  taking  a  com- 
pany of  cavalry  as  escort. 

"The  Indians  having  committed  a  great  many  depreda- 
tions on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  destroying  telegraph 
lines,  and  also  on  the  Black  Hills  road,  running  off  stock, 
the  Fifth  Cavalry  was  sent  out  to  scout  the  country 
between  the  Indian  agencies  and  the  hills.  The  command 
operated  on  the  South  Fork  of  the  Cheyenne  and  at  the 
foot  of  the  Black  Hills  for  about  two  weeks,  having  sev- 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTEIi's   COMMAND  431 

eral  engagements  with  roving  bands  of  Indians  dniing  the 
time,  (xeneral  Wesley  Merritt  —  who  had  at  that  time  but 
hitely  received  his  promotion  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  Fifth 
Cavalry  —  now  came  out  and  took  control  of  the  regi- 
ment. I  was  sorry  that  the  command  was  taken  from 
General  Carr,  because  under  him  it  had  made  its  fighting 
reputation.  However,  upon  becoming  acquainted  with 
General  Merritt,  I  found  him  to  be  an  excellent  officer. 

"  The  reginiBnt,  by  continued  scouting,  soon  drove  the 
Indians  out  of  that  section  (,)f  tlie  country,  as  we 
supposed,  and  we  had  started  on  our  way  back  to  Fort 
Laramie,  when  a  scout  arrived  at  the  camp,  and  reported 
the  massacre  of  General  Custer  and  his  band  of  heroes 
on  the  Little  Big  Horn,  on  the  25th  of  June,  1876.  He 
also  brought  orders  to  General  Merritt  to  proceed  at  once 
to  Fort  Fetterman  and  join  General  Crook  in  the  Big 
Horn  country. 

"  The  extraordinary  and  sorrowful  interest  attaching  to 
the  destruction  of  Custer  and  his  brave  followers  prompts 
me  to  give  a  brief  description  of  the  causes  leading 
thereto,  and  some  of  the  details  of  that  horrible  sacrifice 
which  so  melts  the  heart  to  pity. 

"When  the  Black  Hills  gold  fever  first  broke  out  in 
1874,  a  rush  of  miners  into  that  country  resulted  in  much 
trouble,  as  the  Indians  always  regarded  the  region  with 
jealous  interest,  and  resisted  all  encroachments  of  white 
men.  Instead  of  the  government  adhering  to  the  treaty 
of  1868  and  restraining  white  men  from  going  into  the 
Hills,  General  Custer  was  sent  out,  in  1874,  to  intimidate 
the  Sioux.  The  unrighteous  spirit  of  this  order  the  gen- 
eral wisely  disregarded,  but  proceeded  to  Prospect  Valley, 
and  from  there  he  pushed  into  the  Valley  of  the  Little 
Missouri.  Custer  expected  to  find  good  grazing  ground 
in  this  valley,  suitable  for  a  camp  which  he  intended  to 
pitch  there  for  several  days,  and  reconnoitre.     The  coun- 


432  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

try,  liowever,  was  comparatively  barren,  and  the  march 
was  therefore  continued  to  the  Belle  Fourche  Valley, 
where  excellent  grazing,' water,  and  plenty  of  wood  was 
found. 

"  Crossing  the  Fourche  the  regiment  was  now  among 
the  outlying  ranges  of  the  Hills,  where  a  camp  was  made 
and  some  reconnoitring  done  ;  but,  finding  no  Indians, 
General  Custer  continued  his  march,  skirting  the  Black 
Hills  and  passing  through  a  country  which  he  described 
as  beautiful  beyond  description,  abounding  with  a  most 
luxurious  vegetation,  cool  crystal  streams,  a  profusion  of 
bright,  sweet-smelling  flowers,  and  plenty  of  game. 

"  Proceeding  down  this  lovely  valley,  which  he  appro- 
priately named  Floral  Park,  an  Indian  camp-fire,  recently 
abandoned,  was  discovered,  and  fearing  a  collision  unless 
pains  were  taken  to  prevent  it,  Custer  halted  and  sent 
out  his  chief  scout.  Bloody  Knife,  with  twenty  friendly 
Indian  allies,  to  trail  the  departed  Sioux.  They  had  gone 
but  a  short  distance  when,  as  Custer  himself  relates, 
'  Two  of  Bloody  Knife's  young  men  came  galloping  back 
and  informed  me  that  they  had  discovered  five  Indian 
lodges  a  few  miles  down  the  valley,  and  that  Bloody 
Knife,  as  directed,  had  concealed  his  party  in  a  wooded 
ravine,  where  they  awaited  further  orders.  Taking  Com- 
pany E  with  me,  which  was  afterward  reenforced  by 
the  remainder  of  the  scouts  and  Colonel  Hart's  company, 
I  proceeded  to  the  ravine  where  Bloody  Knife  and  his 
party  lay  concealed,  and  from  the  crest  beyond  obtained 
a  full  view  of  the  five  Indian  lodges,  about  which  a  con- 
siderable number  of  ponies  were  grazing.  I  was  enabled 
to  place  my  command  still  nearer  to  the  lodges  undis- 
covered. I  then  despatched  Agard,  the  interpreter,  with 
a  flag  of  truce,  accompanied  by  ten  of  our  Sioux  scouts, 
to  acquaint  the  occupants  of  the  lodges  that  we  were 
friendly  disposed  and  desired  to  communicate  with  them. 


MASSACliE   OF    CLSTEU's    COMMAND  433 

To  prevent  eitlu'v  treachery  or  ili^lit  dii  tluir  ])art,  I 
galloped  the  remaining  portion  of  my  advance  and  sur- 
ronnded  the  lodges.  This  was  accomplished  almost  before 
they  were  aware  of  our  presence.  I  then  entered  the 
little  village  and  shook  hands  with  its  occupants,  assuring 
them  through  the  interpreter  that  they  had  no  cause  to 
fear,  as  we  were  not  there  to  molest  them,  etc' 

"  Finding  there  was  no  disposition  on  the  part  of  Gen- 
eral Custer  to  harm  them,  the  Indians  despatched  a  courier 
to  their  principal  village,  requesting  the  Avarriors  to  be 
present  at  a  council  with  the  whites.  This  council  w^as 
held  on  the  following  day,  but  though  Custer  dispensed 
coffee,  sugar,  bacon,  and  other  presents  to  the  Indians, 
his  advice  to  them  regarding  the  occupation  of  their 
country  by  miners  was  treated  with  indifference,  for  which, 
he  observes  in  his  official  report,  '  I  cannot  blame  the  poor 
savages.' 

"  During  the  summer  of  1875  General  Crook  made 
several  trips  into  the  Black  Hills  to  drive  out  the  miners 
and  maintain  the  government's  faith,  but  Avhile  he  made 
many  arrests  there  was  no  punishment,  and  the  whole 
proceeding  became  farcical.  In  August  of  the  same  year 
Custer  City  was  laid  out,  and  two  weeks  later  it  con- 
tained a  population  of  six  hundred  souls.  These  Gen- 
eral Crook  drove  out,  but  as  he  marched  from  the  place 
others  swarmed  in  and  the  population  was  immediately 
renewed. 

"  It  was  this  inability,  or  real  indisposition,  of  the 
government  to  enforce  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  1868, 
that  led  to  the  bitter  war  wdth  Sitting  Bull,  and  which 
terminated  so  disastrously  on  the  25th  of  June,  1876. 

"  It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  the  Sioux  Indians,  for  four 

years  immediately  preceding  the  Custer  massacre,  were 

regularly  supplied  with  the  most  improved  fire-arms  and 

ammunition  by  the  agencies  at  Brule,  Grand  River,  Stand- 

2f 


434 


THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 


ing  Rock,  Port  Berthold,  Cheyenne,  and  Fort  Peck. 
Even  during  the  campaign  of  1876,  in  the  months  of 
May,  June,  and  July,  just  before  and  after  Custer  and 
his  band  of  heroes  rode  down  into  the  valley  of  death, 

these  fighting  Indians 
received  eleven  hun- 
dred and  twenty  Rem- 
ington and  Winchester 
rifles  and  four  hundred 
and  thirteen  thousand 
rounds  of  patent  am- 
munition, besides  large 
quantities  of  loose  j)ow- 
der,  lead,  and  primers, 
while  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1875  they  re- 
ceived several  thou- 
sand stands  of  arms 
and  more  than  a  mill- 
ion rounds  of  ammu- 
nition. With  this  generous  provision  there  is  no  cause 
for  wonder  that  the  Sioux  were  able  to  resist  the  govern- 
ment and  attract  to  their  aid  all  the  dissatisfied  Chey- 
ennes  and  other  Indians  in  the  Northwest. 

"  Besides  a  perfect  fighting  equipment,  all  the  Indians 
recognized  in  Sitting  Bull  the  elements  of  a  great  warrior, 
one  whose  superior,  perhaps,  has  never  been  known 
among  the  tribe  ;  he  combined  all  the  strategic  cunning 
of  Tecumseh  with  the  cruel,  uncompromising  hatred  of 
Black  Kettle,  while  his  leadership  was  far  superior  to 
both.  Having  decided  to  precipitate  a  terrible  war,  he 
chose  his  position  with  consummate  judgment,  selecting 
a  central  vantage  point  surrounded  by  what  is  known  as 
the  '  Bad  Lands,'  and  then  kept  his  supply  source  open 
by  an   assumed   friendship  with   the    Canadian   French. 


JiWno, 


Dull. 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTEK'S   COMMAND  435 

This  he  was  tlie  better  able  to  accomplish,  since  some 
years  before  he  had  i)rofessed  conversion  to  Cliristianity 
under  tlie  preaching  of  Father  Desmet  and  maintained  a 
show'  of  friendship  for  the  Canadians. 

"  War  against  the  Sioux  having  been  brought  about 
by  the  combined  Black  Hill  outrages  and  Sitting  Bull's 
threatening  attitude,  it  was  decided  to  send  out  three 
separate  expeditions,  one  of  which  should  move  from  the 
north,  under  General  Terry,  from  Fort  Lincoln  ;  another 
from  the  east,  under  General  Gibbon,  from  Fort  Ellis,  and 
another  from  the  south,  under  General  Crook,  from  Fort 
Fetterman  ;  tliese  movements  were  to  be  simultaneous, 
and  a  jnnetion  was  expected  to  be  formed  near  the  head- 
waters of  the  Yellowstone  River. 

"  For  some  cause,  wliich  I  will  refrain  from  discussing, 
the  commands  did  not  start  at  the  same  time.  General 
Crook  did  not  leave  Fetterman  until  March  1,  with 
seven  hundred  men  and  forty  days'  supply.  Tlie  com- 
mand was  entrusted  to  Colonel  Reynolds  of  the  Third 
Cavalry,  accompanied  by  General  Crook,  the  department 
commander.  Notliing  was  heard  from  this  expedition 
until  the  22d  following,  when  General  Crook  forwarded 
from  Fort  Reno  a  brief  account  of  his  battle  on  Powder 
River.  The  result  of  this  fight,  which  lasted  five  hours, 
was  the  destruction  of  Crazy  Horse's  village  of  one  hun- 
dred and  five  lodges  ;  or  that  is  the  way  the  despatch 
read,  though  many  assert  that  the  battle  resulted  in  little 
else  than  a  series  of  remarkable  blunders  which  suffered 
the  Indians  to  make  good  their  escape,  losing  only  a  small 
quantity  of  their  property. 

'*  One  serious  trouble  rose  out  of  the  Powder  River 
fight,  which  was  found  in  an  assertion  made  by  General 
Crook,  or  at  least  attributed  to  him,  that  his  expedition 
liad  proved  that  instead  of  being  fifteen  or  twenty  thou- 
sand hostile   Indians  in  the  Black  hills  and  Big  Horn 


436  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

country,  the  total  number  would  not  exceed  two  thou- 
sand. It  was  upon  tliis  estimation  that  the  expeditions 
were  prepared. 

"The  Terry  column,  which  was  commanded  by  General 
Custer,  consisted  of  twelve  companies  of  the  Seventh  Cav- 
alry, and  three  companies  of  the  Sixth  and  Seventeenth 
Infantry,  with  four  Gatling  guns,  and  a  detachment  of 
Indian  scouts.  This  force  comprised  twenty-eight  offi- 
cers and  seven  hundred  and  forty-seven  men  of  the 
Seventh  Cavalry,  eight  officers  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  men  of  the  Sixth  and  Seventeenth  Infantry, 
two  officers  and  thirty-two  men  in  charge  of  the  Gatling 
battery,  and  forty-five  enlisted  Indian  scouts,  a  grand 
total  of  thirty-eight  officers  and  nine  hundred  and  fifty- 
nine  men,  including  scouts. 

"  The  combined  forces  of  Crook,  Gibbon,  Terry,  and 
Custer  did  not  exceed  twenty-seven  hundred  men,  while 
opposed  to  them  were  fully  seventeen  thousand  Indians, 
all  of  whom  were  provided  with  the  latest  and  most 
improved  patterns  of  repeating  rifles. 

"  On  the  16th  of  June  General  Crook  started  for  the 
Rosebud,  on  which  stream  it  was  reported  that  Sitting 
Bull  and  Crazy  Horse  were  stationed ;  about  the  same  time 
a  party  of  Crow  Indians  who  were  operating  with  General 
Crook  returned  from  a  scout  and  rei)orted  that  General 
Gibbon,  who  was  on  Tongue  River,  had  been  attacked  by 
Sitting  Bull,  who  had  captured  several  horses.  Crook 
pushed  on  rapidly  toward  the  Rosebud,  leaving  his  train 
behind  and  mounting  his  infantry  on  mules.  What  were 
deemed  accurate  reports  stated  that  Sitting  Bull  was  still 
on  the  Rosebud,  only  sixty  miles  from  tlie  point  where 
General  Crook  camped  on  the  night  of  the  15th  of  June. 
The  command  travelled  forty  miles  on  the  16th,  and 
when  within  twenty  miles  of  the  Sioux'  principal  position, 
instead  of  pushing  on.  General  Crook  went  into  camp. 


MASSACRE    OF   CL'STEU's   COMMAND  437 

"The  next  luoniing  he  was  much  surprised  to  find 
himself  uttaoked  by  Sitting  Bull,  who  swooped  down 
upon  him  with  the  first  streaks  of  coming  dawn,  and  a 
heavy  battle  followed.  General  Crook,  who  had  camped 
in  a  basin  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  high  hills,  soon 
found  his  position  so  dangerous  that  it  must  be  changed 
at  all  hazards.  The  advance  was  at  once  with  Noyes' 
battalion  occupying  a  position  on  the  right,  Mills  on  the 
right  centre,  Chambers  in  the  centre,  and  the  Indian 
allies  on  the  left.  Mills  and  Noyes  charged  the  enemy  in 
magnificent  style,  breaking  the  line  and  striking  the  rear. 
The  fight  continued  hot  and  furious  until  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  when  a  gallant  charge  of  Colonel  Koyall, 
who  was  in  reserve,  supported  by  the  Indian  allies,  caused 
the  Sioux  to  draw  off  to  their  village,  six  miles  distant, 
while  General  Crook  went  into  camp,  where  he  remained 
inactive  for  two  days. 

"  In  the  meantime,  as  the  official  report  recites  :  '  Gen- 
erals Terry  and  Gibbon  communicated  with  each  other 
June  1,  near  the  junction  of  the  Tongue  and  Yellow- 
stone rivers,  and  learned  tliat  a  heavy  force  of  Indians 
had  concentrated  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Yellow- 
stone, but  eighteen  miles  distant.  For  fourteen  days  the 
Indian  pickets  had  confronted  Gibbon's  videttes.' 

"  General  Gibbon  reported  to  General  Terry  that  the 
cavalry  had  thoroughly  scouted  the  Yellowstone  as  far  as 
the  mouth  of  the  Big  Horn,  and  no  Indians  had  crossed 
it.  It  was  now  certain  that  they  were  not  prepared  for 
them,  and  on  the  Powder,  Tongue,  Rosebud,  Little  Big 
Horn,  and  Big  Horn  rivers.  General  Terry  at  once  com- 
menced feeling  for  them.  Major  Reno  of  the  Seventh 
Cavalry,  with  six  companies  of  that  regiment,  was  sent 
up  Powder  River  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  to  the  mouth 
of  Little  Powder  River,  to  look  for  the  Indians,  and  if  pos- 
sible to  communicate  with  General  Crook.     He  reached 


438  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

the  mouth  of  the  Little  Powder  in  five  days,  but  saw  no 
Indians,  and  could  hear  nothing  of  Crook.  As  he 
returned,  he  found  on  the  Rosebud  a  very  large  Indian 
trail  about  nine  days  old,  and  followed  it  a  short  dis- 
tance, when  he  turned  about  up  Tongue  River,  and 
reported  to  General  Terry  what  he  had  seen.  It  was 
now  known  that  no  Indians  were  on  either  Tonsfue  or 
Little  Powder  rivers,  and  the  net  had  narrowed  down  to 
Rosebud,  Little  Big  Horn,  and  Big  Horn  rivers. 

"  General  Terry  had  been  waiting  witli  Custer  and  the 
steamer  Far  West  at  the  mouth  of  Tongue  River,  for 
Reno's  report,  and  as  soon  as  he  heard  it  he  ordered 
Custer  to  march  up  the  south  bank  to  a  point  opposite 
General  Gibbon,  who  was  encamped  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  Yellowstone.  Accordinglv  Terry,  on  board  the 
steamer  Far  West^  pushed  up  the  Yellowstone,  keeping 
abreast  of  General  Custer's  column. 

"  General  Gibbon  was  found  in  camp  quietly  awaiting 
developments.  A  consultation  was  had  with  Generals 
Gibbon  and  Custer,  and  then  General  Terry  definitely 
fixed  upon  the  plan  of  action.  It  was  believed  that  tlie 
Indians  were  at  the  head  of  the  Rosebud,  or  over  on  the 
Little  Big  Horn,  a  dividing  ridge  only  fifteen  miles  wide 
and  separating  the  two  streams.  It  was  announced  by 
General  Terry  that  General  Custer's  column  would  strike 
the  blow. 

"  At  the  time  that  a  junction  was  formed  between  Gib- 
bon and  Terry,  General  Crook  was  about  one  hundred  miles 
from  them,  while  Sitting  Bull's  forces  were  between  the 
commands.  After  his  battle  Crook  fell  back  to  the  head 
of  Tongue  River.  The  Powder,  Tongue,  Rosebud,  and  Big 
Horn  rivers  all  flow  northwest,  and  empty  into  the  Yel- 
lowstone ;  as  Sitting  Bull  was  between  the  headwaters  of 
the  Rosebud  and  Big  Horn,  the  main  tributary  of  the  lat- 
ter being  known  as  the  Little  Big  Horn,  a  sufficient  know- 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTER'S   COMMAND  439 

ledge  of  the  topograpliy  of  the  country  is  thus  afforded  ])y 
Avhic'h  to  definitely  h)cate  Sitting  Bull  and  his  forces. 

'•  lla\ing  now  ascertained  the  position  of  the  enemy,  or 
reasoned  out  the  probable  position,  General  Terry  sent  a 
despatch  to  General  Sheridan,  as  follows:  'No  Indians  have 
been  met  with  as  yet,  but  traces  of  a  large  and  recent  camp 
have  been  discovered  twenty  or  thirty  miles  up  the  Rose- 
bud. Gibbon's  column  will  move  this  morning  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Yellowstone,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Big 
Horn,  where  it  will  be  ferried  across  by  the  supply 
steamer,  and  whence  it  will  proceed  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Big  Horn,  and  so  on.  Custer  will  go  to  the  Rose- 
bud to-morrow  with  his  whole  regiment,  and  thence  to 
the  headwaters  of  the  Little  Big  Horn,  thence  down  that 
stream.' 

"  Following  this  report  came  an  order,  signed  by 
E.  W.  Smith,  Captain  of  the  Eighteenth  Lifantry,  Act- 
ing Assistant  Adjutant-General,  directing  General  Custer 
to  follow  the  Lidian  trail  discovered,  pushing  the  Indians 
from  one  side,  while  General  Gibbon  pursued  them  from  an 
opposite  direction.  As  no  instructions  were  given  as  to 
the  rate  at  which  each  division  should  travel,  Custer,  noted 
for  his  quick,  energetic  movements,  made  ninety  miles 
the  first  three  days,  and,  discovering  the  Indians  in  large 
numbers,  divided  his  command  into  three  divisions,  one 
of  which  he  placed  under  Major  Reno,  another  under 
Major  Benteen,  and  led  the  other  himself. 

"•As  Custer  made  a  detour  to  enter  the  village,  Reno 
struck  a  large  body  of  Indians,  who,  after  retreating  nearly 
three  miles,  turned  on  the  troops  and  ran  them  pell-mell 
across  Grassy  Creek  into  the  woods.  Reno  overestimated 
the  strength  of  his  enemies  and  thought  he  was  being 
surrounded.  Benteen  came  up  to  the  sujjport  of  Reno, 
but  he  too  took  fright  and  got  out  of  his  position  without 
striking  the  enemy. 


440  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  While  Reno  and  Benteen  Avere  trying  to  keep  open  a 
way  for  their  retreat,  Custer  charged  on  the  viUage,  first 
sending  a  courier,  Trumpeter  Martin,  to  Reno  and  Ben- 
teen with  the  following  despatch  :  '  Big  village  ;  be  quick  ; 
send  on  the  packs.'  This  order  was  too  plain  to  be  mis- 
understood. It  clearly  meant  that  he  had  discovered  the 
village,  which  he  intended  attacking  at  once ;  to  hurry 
forward  to  his  support  and  bring  up  the  packs,  ambu- 
lances, etc.  But,  instead  of  obeying  orders,  Reno  and 
Benteen  stood  aloof,  fearful  lest  they  should  endanger 
their  position,  while  the  brave  Custer  and  his  squad  of 
noble  horses  rushed  down  like  a  terrible  avalanche  upon 
the  Indian  village.  In  a  moment,  fateful  incident,  the 
Indians  came  swarming  about  that  heroic  band  until  the 
very  earth  seemed  to  open  and  let  loose  the  elements  of 
volcanic  fur}^  or  like  a  riot  of  the  fiends  of  Erebus,  blaz- 
ing with  the  hot  sulphur  of  their  impious  dominion. 
Down  from  the  hillside,  up  through  the  valleys,  that 
dreadful  torrent  of  Indian  cruelty  and  massacre  poured 
around  the  little  squad  to  swallow  it  up  Avith  one  grand 
swoop  of  fire.  But  Custer  was  there  at  the  head,  like 
Spartacus  fighting  the  legions  about  him,  tall,  graceful, 
brave  as  a  lion  at  bay,  and  with  thunderbolts  in  his  hands. 
His  brave  followers  formed  a  hollow  square,  and  met  the 
rush  and  roar  and  fury  of  the  demons.  Bravely  they 
breasted  that  battle  shock,  bravely  stood  up  and  faced 
the  leaden  hail,  nor  quailed  when  looking  into  the  blaz- 
ing muzzles  of  five  thousand  deadl}'  rifles. 

"  Brushing  away  the  powder  grimes  that  had  settled  in 
his  face,  Custer  looked  over  the  boiling  sea  of  fury  around 
him,  peering  through  the  smoke  for  some  signs  of  Reno 
and  Benteen,  but  seeing  none.  Still  tliinking  of  the  aid 
which  must  soon  come,  with  cheering  words  to  his  men 
he  renewed  the  battle,  fighting  still  like  a  Hercules  and 
piling  heaps  of  victims  around  his  very  feet. 


MASSACRE   OF   CUSTEU'S   COMMAND  441 

"  Hour  after  lioiir  passed,  and  yet  no  friendly  sign  of 
Reno's  coming  ;  nothing  to  be  seen  through  the  battle- 
smoke,  except  streaks  of  fire  splitting  through  the  misty 
clouds,  blood  flowing  in  rivulets  under  tramping  feet, 
dying  comrades,  and  Indians  swarming  around  him, 
rending  the  air  with  their  demoniacal  '  hi-yi-yip-yah ! 
—  yah-hi-yah  I ' 

"  The  fight  continued  with  unabated  fury  until  late  in 
the  afternoon  ;  men  had  sunk  down  beside  their  gallant 
leader  until  there  was  but  a  handful  left,  only  a  dozen, 
bleeding  from  many  Avounds  and  hot  carbines  in  their 
stiffening  hands. — The  day  is  almost  done,  when  look! 
Heaven  now  defend  him  !  The  charm  of  his  life  is  broken, 
for  Custer  has  fallen  ;  a  bullet  cleaves  a  pathway  through 
his  side,  and  as  he  falters  another  strikes  his  noble  breast. 
Like  a  strong  oak  stricken  by  the  lightning's  bolt,  shiver- 
ing the  mighty  trunk  and  bending  its  withering  branches 
down  close  to  the  earth,  so  fell  Custer  ;  but,  like  the 
reacting  branches,  he  rises  partly  up  again,  and  striking 
out  like  a  fatally  wounded  giant  he  lays  three  more 
Indians  dead  and  breaks  his  mighty  sword  on  the  musket 
of  a  fourth  ;  then,  with  useless  blade  and  empty  pistol, 
falls  back  the  victim  of  a  dozen  wounds.  — He  was  the  last 
to  succumb  to  death,  and  died,  too,  with  the  glory  of 
accomplished  duty  on  his  conscience  and  the  benediction 
of  a  grateful  country  on  his  head.  The  place  where  fell 
these  noblest  of  heroes  is  sacred  ground,  and  though 
it  be  the  Golgotha  of  a  nation's  mistakes,  it  is  bathed  with 
precious  blood,  rich  with  the  gems  of  heroic  inheritance. 

"  I  have  avoided  attaching  blame  to  any  one,  using  only 
tlie  facts  that  have  been  furnished  me  to  show  how  Custer 
came  to  attack  the  Sioux  village  and  how  and  why  he 
died. 

'•  When  the  news  of  the  terrible  massacre  was  learned, 
soldiers   everywhere    made    a   pilgrimage    to    the    sacred 


442  THE  GKEAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

place,  and  friendly  hands  reared  a  monument  on  that 
distant  spot  commemorative  of  the  heroism  of  Custer  and 
his  men.  They  collected  together  all  the  bones  and  relies 
of  the  battle  and  piled  them  up  in  pyramidal  form,  where 
they  stand  in  sunshine  and  storm,  overlooking  the  Little 
Big  Horn. 

"  Soon  after  the  news  of  Custer's  massacre  reached  us, 
prejjarations  were  immediately  made  to  avenge  his  death. 
The  whole  Cheyenne  and  Sioux  tribes  were  in  revolt,  and 
a  lively,  if  not  very  dangerous,  campaign  was  inevitable. 

"  Two  days  before  receipt  of  the  news  of  the  massacre. 
Colonel  Stanton,  who  was  with  the  Fifth  Cavalry,  had 
been  sent  to  Red  Cloud  agency,  and  on  the  evening  of  the 
receijot  of  the  news  of  the  Custer  fight  a  scout  arrived  in 
our  camp  with  a  message  from  the  colonel  informing 
General  Merritt  that  eight  hundred  Cheyenne  warriors 
had  that  day  left  Red  Cloud  agency  to  join  Sitting  Bull's 
hostile  forces  in  the  Big  Horn  country. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  instructions  to  proceed  immedi- 
ately to  join  General  Crook  by  the  way  of  Fort  Fetterman, 
General  Merritt  took  the  responsibility  of  endeavouring 
to  intercept  the  Cheyennes,  and  as  the  sequel  shows  he 
performed  a  very  important  service. 

"  He  selected  five  hundred  men  and  horses,  and  in  two 
hours  we  were  making  a  forced  march  back  to  Hat,  or 
War  Bonnet  Creek  —  the  intention  being  to  reach  the 
main  Indian  trail  running  to  the  north  across  that  creek 
before  the  Cheyennes  could  get  there.  We  arrived  there 
tlie  next  night,  and  at  daylight  the  following  morning, 
July  17,  1876,  I  went  out  on  a  scout,  and  found  that  the 
Indians  had  not  yet  crossed  the  creek.  On  my  way  back 
to  the  command  I  discovered  a  large  party  of  Indians, 
Avhich  proved  to  be  the  Cheyennes,  coming  up  from  the 
south,  and  I  hurried  to  the  camp  with  this  important 
information. 


MASSACRE   OF    CUSTEU'S    COMMAND  443 

"  The  cavalrymen  quietly  inomited  their  horses,  and 
were  ordered  to  remain  out  of  sight,  Avhile  General  Mer- 
ritt,  accompanied  by  two  or  three  aids  and  myself,  went 
out  on  a  tour  of  observation  to  a  neighbouring  hill,  from 
the  summit  of  which  we  saw  that  the  Indians  were 
approaching  almost  directly  toward  us.  Presently  fif- 
teen or  twenty  of  them  dashed  off  to  the  west  in  the 
direction  from  which  we  had  come  the  night  before  ;  and, 
upon  closer  observation  with  our  field-glasses,  we  dis- 
covered two  mounted  soldiers,  evidently  carrying  de- 
spatches for  us,  pushing  forward  on  our  trail. 

"  The  Indians  were  evidently  endeavouring  to  intercept 
these  two  men,  and  General  Merritt  feared  that  they 
would  accomplish  their  object.  He  did  not  think  it 
advisable  to  send  out  any  soldiers  to  the  assistance  of  the 
couriers,  for  fear  they  would  show  to  the  Indians  that 
there  were  troops  in  the  vicinity  who  were  waiting  for 
them.  I  finally  suggested  that  the  best  plan  was  to  wait 
until  the  couriers  came  closer  to  the  command,  and  then, 
just  as  the  Indians  were  about  to  make  a  charge,  to  let 
me  take  the  scouts  and  cut  them  off  from  the  main  body 
of  the  Cheyennes,  who  were  coming  over  the  divide. 

" '  All  right,  Cody,'  said  the  general,  '  if  you  can  do 
that,  go  ahead.' 

"  I  rushed  back  to  the  connnand,  jumped  on  my  horse, 
picked  out  fifteen  men,  and  returned  with  them  to  the 
point  of  observation.  I  told  General  Merritt  to  give  us 
the  word  to  start  out  at  the  proper  time,  and  presently  he 
sang  out :  — 

" '  Go  in  now.  Cod}',  and  be  quick  about  it.  They  are 
going  to  charge  on  the  couriers.' 

"  The  two  messengers  were  not  over  four  hundred  yards 
from  us,  and  the  Indians  were  only  about  two  hundred 
yards  behind  them.  We  instantly  dashed  over  the  bluffs, 
and  advanced  on  a  gallop  toward  them.     A  running  fight 


444  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TKAlT 

lasted  several  minutes,  during  which  we  drove  the  enemy 
some  little  distance  and  killed  three  of  their  number. 
The  rest  of  them  rode  off  toward  the  main  body,  which 
had  come  into  plain  sight  and  halted  upon  seeing  the 
skirmish  that  was  going  on.  We  were  about  half  a  mile 
from  General  Merritt,  and  the  Indians  whom  we  were 
chasing  suddenly  turned  upon  us,  and  another  lively  skir- 
mish took  place.  One  of  the  Indians,  who  was  hand- 
somely decorated  with  all  the  ornaments  usually  worn  by 
a  war-chief  when  engaged  in  a  fight,  sang  out  to  me,  in  his 
own  tongue  :  '  I  know  you,  Pa-he-haska  ;  if  you  want  to 
Rght,  come  ahead  and  fight  me.' 

"  The  chief  was  riding  his  horse  back  and  forth  in  front 
of  his  men,  as  if  to  banter  me,  and  I  concluded  to  accept 
the  challenge.  I  galloped  toward  him  for  fifty  yards  and 
he  advanced  toward  me  about  the  same  distance,  both  of 
us  riding  at  full  speed,  and  then,  when  we  were  only 
about  thirty  yards  aj^art,  I  raised  my  rifle  and  fired  ;  his 
horse  fell  to  the  ground,  having  been  killed  by  my  bullet. 
Almost  at  the  same  instant  my  own  horse  went  down,  he 
having  stepped  into  a  gopher-hole.  Tlie  fall  did  not  hurt 
me  much,  and  I  instantly  sprang  to  my  feet.  The  Indian 
had  also  recovered  himself,  and  we  were  now  both  on  foot, 
and  not  more  than  twenty  paces  apart.  We  fired  at  each 
other  simultaneously.  My  usual  luck  did  not  desert  me 
on  this  occasion,  for  his  bullet  missed  me,  Avhile  mine 
struck  liim  in  the  breast.  He  reeled  and  fell,  but  before 
he  had  fairly  touched  the  ground  I  was  upon  him,  knife 
in  hand,  and  had  driven  tlie  keen-edged  weapon  to  its 
hilt  in  his  heart.  Jerking  his  Avar-bonnet  off,  I  scientifi- 
cally scalped  him  in  about  five  seconds. 

"  Tlie  whole  affair  from  beginning  to  end  occupied  but 
little  time,  and  the  Indians,  seeing  that  I  was  some  little 
distance  from  my  company,  now  came  charging  down  upon 
me  from  a  hill,  in  hopes  of  cutting  me  off.     General  Mer- 


MASSACRE    OF    CUSTKU'S    COMMAND  445 

ritt  had  witnessed  the  duel,  and  realizing  the  danger  I  was 
in  ordered  Colonel  Mason  with  Company  K  to  hurry 
to  my  rescue.  The  order  came  none  too  soon,  f',r  if  it 
had  been  one  minute  hiter  I  would  have  had  not  less  than 
two  hundred  Indians  upon  me.  As  the  soldiers  came  up 
I  swung  the  Indian  chieftain's  top-knot  and  bonnet  in  the 
air,  and  shouted:  — 

" '  The  first  scalp  for  Custer  ! ' 

"  General  Merritt,  seeing  that  he  could  not  now  ambush 
the  Indians,  ordered  the  Avhole  regiment  to  charge  upon 
them.  They  made  a  stubborn  resistance  for  a  little  while, 
l)nt  it  w^as  no  use  for  any  eight  hundred,  or  even  sixteen 
hundred,  Indians  to  try  to  check  a  charge  of  the  gallant 
old  Fifth  Cavalry.  They  soon  came  to  that  conclusion 
and  began  a  running  retreat  toward  Red  Cloud  agency. 
For  thirty-five  miles  we  drove  them,  pushing  them  so  hard 
that  they  Avere  obliged  to  abandon  their  loose  horses,  their 
camp  equipage,  and  everything  else.  We  drove  them  into 
the  agency,  and  foUow^ed  in  ourselves,  notwithstanding  the 
possibility  of  our  having  to  encounter  the  thousands  of 
Indians  at  that  point.  We  were  uncertain  whether  or 
not  the  other  agency  Indians  had  determined  to  follow  the 
example  of  the  Cheyennes  and  strike  out  upon  the  war- 
path ;  l)iit  that  made  no  difference  with  the  Fifth  Cavalry, 
for  they  would  have  fought  them  all  if  necessary.  It  was 
dark  when  we  rode  into  the  agency,  where  we  found  thou- 
sands of  Indians  collected  together  ;  but  thev  manifested 
no  disposition  to  fight. 

"While  at  the  agency  I  learned  the  name  of  the  Indian 
chief  whom  I  had  killed  that  morning  ;  it  was  YelloAv 
Hand,  a  son  of  old  Cut  Nose  —  a  leading  chief  of  the 
Cheyennes.  Cut  Nose,  having  learned  that  I  had  killed 
his  son,  sent  a  wdiite  interpreter  to  me  with  a  message  to 
the  effect  that  he  would  give  me  four  mules  if  I  would 
turn  over  to  him  Yellow  Hand's  war-bonnet,  guns,  pistols, 


446  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ornaments,  and  other  paraphernalia  which  I  had  captured. 
I  sent  back  word  to  the  old  gentleman  that  it  would  give 
me  pleasure  to  accommodate  him,  but  1  could  not  do  it 
this  time. 

"  The  next  morning  we  started  to  join  General  Crook, 
who  was  camped  near  the  foot  of  Cloud  Peak  in  the  Big 
Horn  Mountains,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  Fifth  Cav- 
alry before  proceeding  against  the  Sioux,  who  were  some- 
where near  the  head  of  the  Little  Big  Horn  —  as  his 
scouts  informed  him.  We  made  rapid  marches  and 
reached  General  Crook's  camp  on  Goose  Creek  about  the 
3d  of  August. 

"  At  this  camp  I  met  many  an  old  friend,  among  whom 
was  Colonel  Hoyall,  who  had  received  his  promotion  to 
the  lieutenant-colonelcy  of  the  Third  Cavalry.  He  in- 
troduced me  to  general  Crook,  whom  I  had  never  met 
before,  but  of  whom  I  had  often  heard.  He  also  intro- 
duced me  to  the  General's  chief  guide,  Frank  Grouard,  a 
half-breed,  who  had  lived  six  years  with  Sitting  Bull,  and 
knew  the  country  thoroughly. 

"  We  remained  in  this  camp  only  one  day,  and  then  the 
whole  troop  pulled  out  for  the  Tongue  River,  leaving  our 
wagons  behind,  but  taking  with  us  a  large  pack-train.  We 
marched  down  the  Tongue  River  for  two  days,  thence  in 
a  westerly  direction  over  the  Rosebud,  where  we  struck 
the  main  Indian  trail,  leading  down  this  stream.  From 
the  size  of  the  trail,  which  appeared  to  be  about  three  or 
four  days  old,  we  estimated  that  there  must  have  been  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  seven  thousand  Indians  in  the  war- 
party. 

"  We  pushed  on,  but  we  did  not  seem  to  gain  much  on 
tlie  Indians,  as  they  were  evidently  making  about  the 
same  marches  that  we  were. 

"  Soon  the  two  commands  were  nearly  out  of  supplies, 
so  the  trail  was  abandoned.     The  troops  kept  on  down 


MASSACKK   OK    ri'STKlfs    COMMAND  447 

Powder  River  to  its  confluence  with  the  Yellowstone,  and 
remained  there  several  days.  Here  we  met  General 
]Miles,  who  reported  that  no  Indians  had  as  yet  crossed 
the  Yellowstone.  Several  steamboats  soon  arrived  with  a 
large  quantity  of  supplies,  and  once  more  the  'Boys  in 
Blue  '  were  made  happy. 

"  One  evening  while  we  were  in  camp  on  the  Yellow- 
stone at  the  mouth  of  Powder  River,  I  was  informed  that 
the  commanding  officers  had  selected  Louis  Richard,  a 
half-breed,  and  myself,  to  accompany  General  ]\Iiles  on  a 
scouting  expedition  on  the  steamer  Far  West^  down  the 
Yellowstone  as  far  as  Glendive  Creek. 

"  The  Far  West  was  to  remain  at  Glendive  overnight, 
and  General  Miles  wished  to  send  despatches  back  to 
General  Terry  at  once.  At  his  request  I  took  the  de- 
spatches and  rode  seventy-five  miles  that  night  through 
the  Bad  Lands  of  tlie  Yellowstone,  and  reached  General 
Terry's  camp  next  morning,  after  having  nearly  broken 
my  neck  a  dozen  times  or  more. 

"  There  being  but  little  prospect  of  any  more  fighting, 
I  determined  to  go  East  as  soon  as  possible.  So  I  started 
down  the  river  on  the  steamer  Yelloivstone  en  route  to 
Fort  Beauford.  On  the  same  morning  Generals  Terry 
and  Crook  pulled  out  for  Powder  River,  to  take  up  the 
old  Indian  trail  which  we  had  recently  left. 

"  The  steamer  had  proceeded  down  the  stream  about 
twenty  miles  when  it  was  met  by  another  boat  on  its  way 
up  the  river,  having  on  board  General  Whistler  and  some 
fresh  troops  for  General  Terry's  command.  Both  boats 
landed,  and  almost  the  first  person  I  met  was  my  old 
friend  and  partner,  Texas  Jack,  who  had  been  sent  out  as 
a  despatch  carrier  for  the  Neiv  York  Herald. 

"  General  Whistler,  upon  learning  that  General  Terry 
had  left  the  Yellowstone,  asked  me  to  carry  him  some 
nnportant  despatches  from  General  Sheridan,  and  although 


^48  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

I  objected,  he  insisted  on  my  performing  this  duty,  saying 
that  it  would  only  detain  me  a  few  hours  longer  ;  as  an 
extra  inducement,  he  offered  me  the  use  of  his  own 
thoroughbred  horse,  which  was  on  the  boat.  I  finally  con- 
sented to  go,  and  was  soon  speeding  over  the  rough  and 
hilly  country  toward  Powder  River,  and  I  delivered  the 
despatches  to  General  Terry  the  same  evening.  General 
Whistler's  horse,  though  a  good  animal,  was  not  used  to 
such  hard  riding,  and  was  far  more  exhausted  by  the 
journey  than  I  was. 

"  After  I  had  taken  a  lunch,  General  Terry  asked  me  if 
I  would  carry  some  despatches  back  to  General  Whistler, 
and  I  replied  that  I  would.  Captain  Smith,  General 
Terry's  aide-de-camp,  offered  me  his  horse  for  the  trip, 
and  it  proved  to  be  an  excellent  animal ;  for  I  rode  him 
that  same  nio-ht  fortv  miles  over  the  Bad  Lands  in  four 
hours,  and  reached  General  Whistler's  steamboat  at  one 
o'clock.  During  my  absence  the  Indians  had  made  their 
appearance  on  the  different  hills  in  the  vicinity,  and  the 
troops  from  the  boat  had  had  several  skirmishes  with 
them.  When  General  Whistler  had  finished  reading  the 
despatches,  he  said,  '  Cody,  I  want  to  send  information  to 
General  Terry  concerning  the  Indians  who  have  been 
skirmishing  around  here  all  day.  I  have  been  trying  all 
the  evening  long  to  induce  some  one  to  carry  my  de- 
spatches to  him,  but  no  one  seems  willing  to  make  the  trip, 
and  I  have  got  to  fall  back  on  you.  It  is  asking  a  great 
deal,  I  know,  as  you  have  just  ridden  eighty  miles  ;  but  it 
is  a  case  of  necessity,  and  if  you'll  go,  Cody,  I'll  see  that 
you  are  well  paid  for  it.' 

" '  Never  mind  about  the  pay,'  said  I,  '  but  get  your 
despatches  ready  and  I'll  start  at  once.' 

"  In  a  few  minutes  he  handed  me  the  package,  and, 
mounting  the  same  horse  which  I  had  ridden  from  Gen- 
eral Terry's  camp,  I  struck  out  for  my  destination.     It 


MARSACPJO    OF   rrSTKK's    Co.MMANO  449 

was  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  wlicn  I  left  the  boat,  and 
at  eight  o'clock  I  rode  into  General  Terry's  camp,  just  as 
he  was  about  to  march  —  ha\ing  made  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  miles  in  twenty-two  hours. 

"  General  Terry,  after  reading  tlie  despatches,  halted 
his  command  and  then  rode  on  and  overtook  General 
Crook,  with  whom  he  held  a  council  ;  the  result  was  that 
Crook's  command  moved  on  in  the  direction  which  they 
had  been  pursuing,  while  Terry's  forces  marched  back  to 
the  Yellowstone  and  crossed  the  river  on  steamboats.  At 
the  urgent  request  of  General  Terry  I  accompanied  the 
command  on  a  scout  in  the  direction  of  the  Dry  Fork  of 
the  Missouri,  where  it  was  expected  we  would  strike 
some  Indians. 

"  The  first  march  out  from  the  Yellowstone  was  made 
in  the  night,  as  we  wished  to  get  into  the  hills  without 
being  discov.ered  l)y  the  Sioux  scouts.  After  marching 
three  days,  a  little  to  the  east  of  north,  we  reached  the 
buffalo  range  and  discovered  fresh  signs  of  Indians,  who 
had  evidently  been  killing  buffaloes.  General  Terry  now 
called  on  me  to  carry  despatches  to  Colonel  Rice,  Avho  was 
still  camped  at  the  mouth  of  Glendive  Creek,  on  the  Yel- 
lowstone, distant  about  eighty  miles  from  us. 

"  Xight  had  set  in  with  a  storm,  and  a  drizzling  rain 
was  falling  when,  at  ten  o'clock,  I  started  on  this  ride 
through  a  section  of  country  with  which  I  was  entirely 
unacquainted.  I  travelled  through  tlie  darkness  a  dis- 
tance of  about  thirty  miles,  and  at  daylight  I  rode  into  a 
secluded  spot  at  the  head  of  a  ravine  where  stood  a  bunch 
of  ash-trees,  and  there  I  concluded  to  remain  till  night, 
for  I  considered  it  a  verv  danijerous  nndertakin<T  to  cross 
the  wide  prairies  in  broad  daylight,  especially  as  my 
horse  was  a  poor  one.  I  accordingly  unsatldled  my  ani- 
mal, and  ate  a  hearty  breakfast  of  bacon  and  hardtack 
which  I  had  stored  in  the  saddle-pockets  ;  then,  after  tak- 
2g 


450  THE    UltEAT    SALT    LAKE    TKAIL 

ing  a  smoke,  I  lay  down  to  sleep,  with  my  saddle  for  a 
pillow.    -In  a  few  minutes  I  was  in  the  land  of  dreams. 

"After  sleeping  some  time  —  I  can't  tell  how  long  —  I 
was  suddenly  awakened  by  a  roaring,  rumbling  sound.  I 
instantly  seized  my  gun,  sprang  to  my  horse,  and  hurriedly 
secreted  liim  in  the  brush.  Then  I  climbed  up  the  steep 
side  of  the  bank  and  cautiously  looked  over  tlie  summit ; 
in  the  distance  I  saw  a  large  herd  of  buffaloes  which  were 
being  chased  and  fired  at  by  twenty  or  thirty  Indians. 
Occasionally  a  buffalo  would  drop  out  of  the  herd,  but 
the  Indians  kept  on  until  they  had  killed  ten  or  fifteen. 
Then  they  turned  back  and  began  to  cut  up  their  game. 

"  I  saddled  my  horse  and  tied  him  to  a  small  tree  where 
I  could  reach  him  conveniently,  in  case  the  Indians  should 
discover  me  by  finding  my  trail  and  following  it.  I  then 
crawled  carefully  back  to  the  summit  of  the  bluff,  and  in 
a  concealed  position  watched  the  Indians  for  two  hours, 
during  which  time  they  were  occupied  in  cutting  up  the 
buffaloes  and  packing  the  meat  on  their  ponies.  When 
they  had  finished  this  work  they  rode  off  in  the  direction 
whence  they  had  come  and  on  the  line  which  I  had  pro- 
posed to  travel.  It  appeared  evident  to  me  that  tlieir 
camp  was  located  somewhere  between  me  and  Glendive 
Creek,  but  I  had  no  idea  of  abandoning  the  trip  on  that 
account. 

"  I  waited  till  nightfall  before  resuming  my  journey, 
and  then  I  bore  off  to  the  east  for  several  miles,  and  by 
taking  a  semicircle  to  avoid  the  Indians  I  got  back  on 
my  original  course,  and  then  pushed  on  rapidly  to  Colonel 
Rice's  camp,  which  I  reached  just  at  daylight. 

"  Colonel  Rice  had  been  fighting  Indians  almost  every 
day  since  he  had  been  encamped  at  this  point,  and  he  was 
very  anxious  to  notify  General  Terry  of  the  fact.  Of 
course  I  was  requested  to  carry  his  despatches.  After 
remaining  at  Glendive  a  single  dav,  I  started  back  to  find 


MASSACKK   OF    (TSTER  S   COMMAND 


451 


General  Terry,  ami  on  the  tliiril  day  1  overhauled  liiin  at 
the  liead  of  Deer  Creek  while  on  his  way  to  Colonel  lliee's 
camp.  He  was  not,  however,  going  in  the  right  direction, 
but  bearing  too  far  to  the  East,  and  so  I  informed  him. 
lie  then  asked  me  to  guide  the  comuiand,  and  I  did  so. 

"  On  arriving  at  (ilendive  I  bade  good-by  to  tlie  gen- 
eral ami  liis  officers,  and  took  passage  on  the  steamer  Far 
WesU  which  was  on  her  wa}'  down  tlie  Missouri." 


T/fC  Cujfcr  /Monument 
and  Jcout  Cur/cy- 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

AROUND    THE    CAMP-FIRE    IN    A    TRAPPER's    BIVOUAC TELLING 

STORIES    OF    THE    OLD    TRAIL OLD    HATCHER's    TRIP    TO    THE 

INFERNAL    REGIONS COLONEL     CODy's     STORY     OF     CALIFOR- 
NIA   JOE A    PRACTICAL    JOKE 


HE  majority  of  old-time 
trappers  and  scouts  al- 
ways had  an  inexhausti- 
ble fund  of  anecdote  and 
adventure.  Stories  were 
often  told  at  night  when 
the  day's  duty  of  making 
the  round  of  the  traps  was  done,  the 
beaver  skinned,  and  the  pelts  hung  up 
to  cure.  Their  simple  supper  disposed, 
and  being  comfortably  seated  around 
their  lire  of  blazing  logs,  each  one 
'^^^\Wf%v  of  them  indulged,  as  a  prelimi- 
>""  '  o""^  ''  narv,  in  his  favourite  manner  of 
smoking.  Some  adhered  to  the 
traditional  clay  pipe,  others,  more  fastidious,  used  nothing 
less  expensive  than  a  meerschaum.  ^lany,  however,  were 
satisfied  with  a  simple  cigarette  with  its  covering  of  corn 
husk.  This  was  Kit  Carson's  usual  metliod  of  smoking, 
and  he  was  an  inveterate  partaker  of  the  weed.  Fre- 
quently there  was  no  real  tobacco  to  be  found  in  the  camp; 
either  its  occupants  had  exhausted  their  supply,  or  the 

452 


IN  A  ti:ai'1'i:u"s  luvor.vc         .  458 

traders  hail  faili'd  to  l)ring  enougli  at  tlie  last  rendezvous^ 
to  go  round.  Tlien  they  were  coni[)elIed  to  resort  to  the 
substitutes  of  the  Indians,  Aniont'-  some  tribes  the  bark 
of  the  rod  \\ilh»\\,  dried  and  bi  iiiscd,  was  used;  otliers, 
particularly  the  mountain  savages,  smoked  the  genuine 
kin-niU-i-nirl<,  a  little  evergreen  vine  growing  on  the  tops 
of  the  highest  elevations,  and  known  as  larb. 

It  was  a  rare  treat  to  come  across  one  of  those  solitary 
camps  when  out  on  a  prolonged  hunt,  for  tlie  visitor  was 
certain  of  a  cordial  welcome,  and  everything  the  generous 
men  had  was  freely  at  your  service.  The  crowning  pleas- 
ure came  at  night,  when  stories  were  told  under  the  silvery 
pines,  with  troops  of  stars  overhead,  around  a  glow- 
ing camp-fire,  until  the  lateness  of  the  hour  warned  all 
that  it  was  time  to  roll  up  in  their  robes,  if  they  intended 
to  court  sleep. 

Let  the  reader,  in  fancy,  accompany  us  to  some  thunder- 
splintered  canon  of  the  great  rock-ribbed  Continental 
Divide,  and  when  the  shadows  of  night  come  walking 
along  the  mountains,  seek  one  of  these  sequestered 
camps,  take  our  place  in  the  magic  circle,  and  listen  to 
wondrous  tales  as  they  are  passed  around.  There  is 
nothing  to  disturb  the  magnificent  silence  save  an  occa- 
sional soughing  of  tlie  fitful  breeze  in  the  tops  of  the 
towering  pines,  or  the  gentle  babbling  of  some  tiny  rivu- 
let as  its  water  soothingly  flows  over  the  rounded  pebbles 
in  its  bed.  There  is  a  charm  in  the  environment  of  such 
a  spot  that  will  photograph  its  picture  on  the  memory 
as  the  gem  of  all  the  varied  experiences  of  a  checkered 
life. 

One  of  the  best  raconteurs  was  Old  Hatcher,  as  he  was 

1  The  rendezvous,  in  trapper's  parlance,  was  a  point  somewhere  in  the 
region  where  the  agents  of  tlie  fur  companies  congregated  to  purchase  the 
season's  catch,  and  where  the  traders  brought  such  goods  as  trappers 
needed,  to  sell. 


454  .       THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

known  tliroughout  the  mountains.  He  was  a  famous 
trapper  of  the  hite  '40's.  Hatclier  was  thoroughly  West- 
ern in  all  his  gestures,  moods,  and  dialect.  He  had  a  fund 
of  stories  of  an  amusing,  and  often  of  a  marvellous  cast. 
It  was  never  any  trouble  to  persuade  him  to  relate  some 
of  the  scenes  in  his  wayward,  ever-changing  life  ;  par- 
ticularly if  you  warmed  him  up  with  a  good-sized  bottle 
of  whiskey,  of  which  he  was  inordinately  fond. 

When  telling  a  story  he  invariably  kept  his  pipe  in  his 
mouth,  using  his  hands  to  cut  from  a  solid  plug  of  Mis- 
souri tobacco,  whenever  his  pipe  showed  signs  of  exhaus- 
tion. He  also  fixed  his  eyes  on  some  imaginary  object  in 
the  blaze  of  the  fire,  and  his  countenance  indicated  a  con- 
centration of  thought,  as  if  to  call  back  from  the  shadowy 
past  the  coming  tale,  the  more  attractive,  perhaps,  by  its 
extreme  improbability. 

He  declared  that  he  once  visited  the  realms  of  Pluto, 
and  no  one  ever  succeeded  in  disabusing  his  mind  of  the 
illusion. 

The  story  is  here  presented  just  as  he  used  to  tell  it, 
but  divested  of  much  of  its  dialect,  so  hard  to  read,  and 
much  more  difficult  to  write  :  — 

"  Well !  "  beginning  with  a  vigorous  pull  at  his  pipe. 
*'  I  had  been  down  to  Bent's  Fort  to  get  some  powder, 
lead,  and  a  few  things  I  needed  at  the  beginning  of  the 
buffalo  season.  I  remained  there  for  some  time  waiting 
for  a  caravan  to  come  from  the  States  which  was  to  bring 
the  goods  I  wanted.  Things  was  wonderfully  high;  it 
took  a  beaver-skin  for  a  plug  of  tobacco,  three  for  a  cup 
of  powder,  and  other  knick-knacks  in  proportion.  Jim 
Finch,  an  old  trapper  that  went  under  by  the  Utes  near 
the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Pass,  a  few  years  ago,  had  told 
me  there  was  lots  of  beaver  on  the  Purgatoire.  Nobody 
knowed  it  ;  all  thought  the  creeks  had  been  cleaned  out 
of  the  varmints.     So  down  I  goes  to  the  canon,  and  sot 


IN    A    TliAl'l'Eli's    lUVUUAC  455 

my  traps.  I  was  all  alone  by  myself,  and  I'll  be  darned 
if  ten  Injun«  didn't  come  a  screeching  riglit  after  me.  I 
cached.  I  did,  and  the  darned  red  devils  made  for  the 
open  prairie  witli  my  animals.  I  tell  you,  I  was  mad,  but 
I  kept  hid  for  more  than  an  liour.  Suddenly  I  heard  a 
tramping  in  the  bushes,  and  in  breaks  my  little  gray  mule. 
Thinks  I  them  'Rapahoes  ain't  smart;  so  tied  her  to 
grass.  But  the  Injuns  had  scared  the  beaver  so,  I  stays 
in  my  camp,  eating  my  lariat.  Then  I  begun  to  get  kind 
o'  wolfish  and  squeamish  ;  something  was  gnawing  and 
pulling  at  my  inwards,  like  a  wolf  in  a  trap.  Just  then 
an  idea  struck  me,  that  I  had  been  there  before  trading 
liquor  with  the  Utes. 

"  I  looked  around  for  sign,  and  hurrah  for  the  moun- 
tains if  I  didn't  lind  the  cache  !  And  now  if  I  didn't  kiss 
the  rock  that  I  had  pecked  with  my  butcher-knife  to  mark 
the  place,  I'm  ungrateful.  Maybe  the  gravel  wasn't 
scratched  up  from  that  place,  and  to  me  as  would  have 
given  all  my  traps  for  some  Taos  lightning,  just  rolled  in 
the  delieious  fluid.^ 

"  1  was  weaker  than  a  goat  in  the  spring,  but  when  the 
Taos  was  opened,  I  fell  back  and  let  it  run  in.  In  four 
swallows  I  concluded  to  pull  up  stakes  for  the  headwaters 
of  the  Purgatoire  for  meat.  So  I  roped  old  Blue,  tied  on 
my  traps,  and  left. 

"It  used  to  be  the 'best  place  in  the  mountains  for  meat, 
but  nothing  was  in  sight.  Things  looked  mighty  strange, 
and  1  wanted  to  make  the  back  track  ;  but,  says  I,  here  I 
am.  and  I  don't  turn,  surely. 

"  The  bushes  w^as  all  scorched  and  curlv,  and  the  cedar 
was  like  fire  had  been  put  to  it.  The  big,  brown  rocks 
was  covered  with  black  smoke,  and  the  little  drink  in  the 
bottom  of  the  cafion  was  dried  up.     I  was  now  most  under 

*  A  very  bad  quality  of  whiskey  made  in  Taos  in  the  early  days,  which, 
on  account  of  its  fiery  nature,  was  called  "Taos  Lightning." 


456  THE   GIJEAT   WALT    LAKE   TltAiL 

the  old  twill  peaks  of  '  Wa-te-yah  ^ '  ;  the  cokl  snow  on 
top  looking  mighty  cool  and  refreshing. 

"  Something  was  wrong ;  I  must  be  shoving  back- 
wards, I  thought,  and  that  before  long,  or  I'd  go  under, 
so  I  jerked  the  rein,  but  I'll  be  dog-goned,  and  it's  true 
as  there's  meat  running.  Blue  kept  going  forward.  I 
laid  back  and  cussed  and  kicked  till  I  saw  blood,  cer- 
tain. Tlien  I  put  out  my  hand  for  my  knife  to  kill  the 
beast,  but  the  '  Green  River '  ^  wouldn't  come.  I  tell 
you  some  un visible  spirit  had  a  paw  there,  and  it's  me 
that  says  it,  'bad  medicine'  it  was,  that  trapping  time. 

"  Loosing  my  pistol,  the  one  I  traded  at  Big  Horn,  the 
time  I  lost  my  Ute  squaw,  and  priming  my  rifle,  I  swore 
to  keep  right  on ;  for  after  staying  ten  years  in  these 
mountains,  to  be  fooled  this  way  wasn't  the  game  for 
me  noliow. 

"  Well,  we,  I  say,  '  we,'  for  Blue  was  some  —  as  good 
as  a  man  any  day  ;  I  could  talk  to  her,  and  she'd  turn  her 
head  as  if  she  understood  me.  Mules  are  knowing  crit- 
ters—  next  to  human.  At  a  sharp  corner  Blue  snorted, 
and  turned  her  head,  but  couldn't  go  back.  There,  in 
front,  Avas  a  level  caiion  Avith  walls  of  black  and  brown 
and  gray  stone,  and  stumps  of  burned  pinon  hung  down 
ready  to  fall  onto  us  ;  and,  as  we  passed,  the  rocks  and 
trees  shook  and  grated  and  croaked.  All  at  once  Blue 
tucked  her  tail,  backed  her  ears,  bowed  her  neck,  and 
squealed  right  out,  a-rearing  on  her  hind  legs,  a-pawing, 
and  snickering.  This  hoss  didn't  see  the  cute  of  them 
notions  ;  he  was  for  examining,  so  I  goes  to  jump  off 
and  lam  the  fool  ;  but  I  was  stuck  tight  as  if  there  was 
tar  on  the  saddle.     I  took  my  gun,  that  there  iron,  my 

1  The  Ute  name  for  the  Spanish  Peaks. 

2  His  name  for  his  knife.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  old  trappers  and 
hunters  to  personify  their  weapons,  usually  in  remembrance  of  the  lo- 
cality where  they  got  them. 


IN  A  ti;ai'I'Ki;"s   i-.ivouac  457 

rifle,  and  pops  Blue  over  the  head,  but  slie  .s([ucaled  and 
dotlged,  all  the  time  paw  ini;  ;  but  it  wasn't  no  use,  and 
I  says,  'you  didn't  eost  more  than  two  blankets  when 
you  was  traded  from  the  Utes,  and  two  blankets  ain't 
worth  more  than  two  beaver-skins  at  Bent's  Fort,  which 
comes  to  two  dollars  a  pair,  you  consarned  ugly  pictur, 
—  darn  you,  anyhow  !  Just  then  I  heard  a  laughing.  1 
looks  up,  and  two  black  critters  —  they  wasn't  human, 
sure,  for  they  had  black  tails  and  red  coats  —  Indian 
cloth,  cloth  like  that  traded  to  the  Indians,  edged  with 
white,  shiny  stuff,  and  brass  buttons. 

''  They  come  forward  and  made  two  low  bows.  I  felt 
for  my  scalp-knife,  for  I  thought  they  was  approaching 
to  take  me,  but  I  couldn't  use  it  —  they  was  so  darned 
polite. 

''  One  of  the  devils  said,  with  a  grin  and  bow,  '  Good- 
morning,  Mr.  Hatcher  I ' 

'' '  H I '  says  I,  '  how  do  you  know  me  ?     I  swear 

this  hoss  never  saw  you  before.' 

'' '  Oh,  we've  expected  you  a  long  time,'  said  the  other, 
'  and  we  are  quite  happy  to  see  you  —  we've  known  you 
ever  since  your  arrival  in  the  mountains.' 

"  I  was  getting  sort  of  scared.  I  wanted  a  drop  of  Taos 
mighty  bad,  but  the  bottle  was  gone,  and  I  looked  at  them 
in  astonishment,  and  siiid  — '  The  devil  !  ' 

"'Hush  !'  screamed  one,  'you  must  not  say  that  here 
' — keep  still,  you  will  see  him  presently.' 

"  I  felt  streaked,  and  a  cold  sweat  broke  out  all  over  me. 
I  tried  to  say  my  prayers,  as  I  used  to  at  home,  when  they 
made  me  turn  in  at  night  — 

" '  Now  I  lay  me.' 

"  Pshaw  !  I'm  off  again,  I  can't  say  it  ;  but  if  this 
child  could  have  got  off  his  animal,  he'd  took  hair  and 
gone  down  the  trail  for  Purgatoire. 


458  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

"All  this  time  the  long-tailed  devils  was  leading  my 
animal,  and  me  top  of  her,  the  biggest  fool  diig  out,  up 
the  same  canon.  The  rocks  on  the  sides  was  pecked 
smooth  as  a  beaver-skin,  ribbed  with  the  grain,  and  the 
ground  was  covered  with  bits  of  cedar,  like  a  cavayard  of 
mules  had  been  nipping  and  scattering  them  about.  Over- 
head it  was  roofed,  leastwise  it  was  dark  in  here,  and  only 
a  little  light  come  through  the  holes  in  the  rock.  I 
thought  I  knew  where  we  was,  and  eeched  awfully  to  talk, 
but  I  sot  still  and  didn't  ask  any  questions. 

"  Presently  we  were  stopped  by  a  dead  wall.  No  open- 
ing anywhere.  When  the  devils  turned  from  me,  I  jerked 
my  head  around  quick,  but  there  was  no  place  to  get  out 
—  the  wall  had  growed  up  behind  us  too.  I  was  mad,  and 
I  wasn't  mad  neither  ;  for  I  expected  the  time  had  come 
for  this  child  to  go  under.  So  I  let  my  head  fall  on  my 
breast,  and  I  pulled  the  wool  hat  over  my  eyes,  and  thought 
for  the  last  of  the  beaver  I  had  trapped,  and  the  buffalo 
as  had  taken  my  lead  pills  in  their  livers,  and  the  j)oker 
and  euchre  I'd  played  at  the  Rendezvous  at  Bent's  Fort. 
I  felt  comfortable  as  eating  fat  cow  to  think  1  hadn't 
cheated  any  one. 

"  All  at  once  the  canon  got  bright  as  day.  1  looked  up, 
and  there  was  a  room  with  lights  and  people  talking  and 
laughing,  and  fiddles  screeching.  Dad,  and  the  preacher 
at  home  when  I  was  a  boy,  told  me  the  fiddle  was  the 
devil's  invention  ;  I  believe  i,t  now. 

"  The  little  fellow  as  had  hold  of  my  animal  squeaked 
out  — '  Get  off  your  mule,  Mr.  Hatcher  ! ' 

" '  Get  off  !  '  said  I,  for  I  was  mad  as  a  bull  pricked  with 
Comanche  lances,  for  his  disturbing  me.  '  Get  off  ?  I 
have  been  trying  to,  ever  since  I  came  into  this  infernal 
hole.' 

"  '  You  can  do  so  now.  Be  quick,  for  the  company  is 
waiting,'  sa,js  he,  pert-like. 


IN    A    TKAIM'KU'S    lUVOUAC  459 

"They  all  stopped  talking  and  were  looking  right  at 
me..  I  felt  riled.  '  Darn  your  company.  I've  got  to 
lose  my  scalp  anyhow,  and  no  iliiference  to  me  —  but  to 
ol)lige  you'  —  so  I  slid  oif  as  easy  as  if  I  had  never  been 
stuck. 

"  A  hunchback  boy,  with  little  gray  eyes  in  his  head, 
took  old  Hhie  away.  I  might  never  see  her  again,  and  I 
shouted  —  *  Poor  Blue  I     Ciood-by,  Blue  ! ' 

"  The  young  devil  snickered  ;  I  turned  around  mighty 
stern  —  '  Stop  your  laughing,  you  hell-cat  —  if  I  am  alone, 
I  can  take  you,'  and  1  grabbed  for  my  knife  to  wade  into 
his  liver  ;  but  it  was  gone  —  gun,  bullet-pouch,  and  pistol, 
like  mules  in  a  stampede. 

"I  stepped  forward  with  a  big  fellow,  with  hair  frizzled 
out  like  an  old  buffalo  just  before  shedding  time  ;  and  the 
people  jawing  worse  than  a  cavayard  of  paroquets,  stopped, 
wliile  frizzly  shouted:  — 

"•'Mr.  Hatcher,  formerly  of  Wapakonnetta,  latterly  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.' 

''  Well,  there  I  stood.  •  Things  were  mighty  strange, 
and  every  darned  nigger  of  them  looked  so  pleased  like. 
To  show  them  manners,  I  said,  'How  are  you?'  and  I 
went  to  bow,  but  chaw  my  last  tobacco  if  T  could,  my 
breeches  was  so  tight — the  heat  way  back  in  the  canon 
had  shrunk  them.  They  were  too  polite  to  notice  it,  and 
I  felt  for  my  knife  to  rip  the  dog-goned  things,  but  rec- 
ollecting the  scalp-taker  was  stolen,  I  straightens  up  and 
bowed  my  head..  A  kind-looking,  smallish  old  gentleman, 
wdth  a  black  coat  and  breeches,  and  a  bright,  cute  face,  and 
gold  spectacles,  walks  up  and  pressed  my  hand  softly. 

"  '  How  do  you  do,  my  dear  friend  ?  I  have  long  ex- 
pected you.  You  cannot  imagine  the  i)leasure  it  gives 
me  to  meet  you  at  home.  I  have  watched  your  peregri- 
nations in  the  busy,  tiresome  world  witli  much  interest. 
Sit  down,  sit  down;  take  a  chair,'  and  he  handed  me  one. 


460  THE   GKEAT   SALT   LAKE   TUAiL 

"I  sqiuired  myself  on  it,  but  if  a  ten-projiged  buck 
wasn't  (lone  sucking  when  I  last  sot  on  a  chair,  and  I 
squirmed  awhile,  uneasy  as  a  gun-shot  coyote  ;  then  I 
jumps  up  and  tells  the  old  gentleman  them  sort  of  fixings 
didn't  suit  this  beaver,  he  prefers  the  floor.  I  sets  cross- 
legged  like  in  camp,  as  easy  as  eating  meat.  I  reached 
for  my  ^^ipe  —  a  fellow  so  used  to  it — but  the  devils  iu 
the  canon  had  cached  that  too. 

'*• '  You  wish  to  smoke,  Mr.  Hatcher  ?  —  we  will  have 
cigars.  Here!'  he  called  to  an  imp  near  him,  'some 
cigars.' 

"  They  was  brought  in  on  a  Avaiter,  about  the  size  of 
my  bullet-pouch.  1  empties  them  into  my  hat,  for  good 
cigars  ain't  to  be  picked  up  on  the  jjrairie  every  day,  but 
looking  at  the  old  man,  I  saw  something  was  wrong.  To 
be  polite,  I  ought  to  have  taken  but  one. 

" '  I  beg  pardon,'  says  I,  scratching  my  scalp,  '  this 
hoss  didn't  think  —  he's  been  so  long  in  the  mountains 
he's  forgot  civilized  doings,'  and  I  shoved  the  hat  to  him. 

"'Never  mind,'  says  he,  waving  his  hand  and  smiling 
faintly,  '  get  others,'  speaking  to  the  boy  alongside  of  him. 

"The  old  gentleman  took  one  and  touched  his  finger 
to  the  end  of  ray  cigar  —  it  smoked  as  if  fire  had  been 
sot  to  it. 

" '  Waugh  I  the  devil !  '  screams  I,  darting  back. 

" '  The  same  ! '  chimed  in  he,  biting  off  the  little  end 
of  his,  and  bowing,  and  spitting  it  out,  'the  same,  sir.' 

"'The  same!  what?' 

"'Why— the  devil.' 

"  '  H — 1  !  this  ain't  the  hollow  tree  for  this  coon  —  I'll 
be  making  medicine,'  so  I  offers  my  cigar  to  the  sky  and 
to  the  earth,  like  an  Injun. 

"'You  must  not  do  that  here  —  out  upon  such  super- 
stition,' says  he,  sharp-like. 

"'Why?' 


IN    A    TKAl'I'KU's    mVOUAC  401 

"'  Don't  ask  sd  many  ([nestioiis  —  come  with  nic,"  rising 
to  his  feet,  and  walking  off  sh)\v  and  bhiwing  his  cigar- 
smoke  over  liis  shonhler  in  a  h)ng  line,  and  I  gets  along- 
side of  him.  •!  want  to  show  yon  my  establishment  — 
you  did  not  expect  to  lind  this  down  here,  eh?' 

"My  breeches  was  all-iired  stiff  with  the  heat  in  the 
canon,  and  my  friend,  seeing  it,  said,  'Your  breeches  are 
tight  ;  allow  me  to  place  my  hand  on  them.' 

"  lie  rubbed  his  fingers  up  and  down  once,  and  by 
beaver,  they  got  as  soft  as  when  I  traded  them  from  the 
Pi-Utes  on  the  Gila. 

''  I  now  felt  as  brave  as  a  buffalo  in  the  spring.  The 
old  man  was  so  clever,  and  I  walked  alongside  of  him  like 
an  old  acquaintance.  We  soon  stopped  before  a  stone 
door,  and  it  opened  without  touching. 

"  '  Here's  damp  powder,  and  no  fire  to  dry  it,'  shouts  I, 
stopping. 

"  '  What's  the  matter  ;  do  you  not  wish  to  perambulate 
through  my  possessions?' 

"  '  This  boss  doesn't  savey  what  the  human  for  peram- 
bulate is,  but  ril  walk  plum  to  the  hottest  fire  in  your 
settlement,  if  that's  all  you  mean.' 

"  The  place  was  hot,  and  smelt  of  brimstone  ;  but  the 
darned  screeching  took  me.  I  walks  up  to  the  other  end 
of  the  lodge,  and  steal  my  mule,  if  there  wasn't  Jake 
Beloo,  as  trapped  Avitli  me  to  Brown's  Hole  I  A  lot  of 
hell-cats  was  a-puUing  at  his  ears,  and  a-jumping  on  his 
shoulders,  and  swinging  themselves  to  the  ground  by  his 
loner  hair.  Some  was  runninsf  hot  ii'ons  into  him,  but 
when  we  came  up  the}'  went  off  in  a  corner,  laughing 
and  talking  like  wildcats'  gibberish  on  a  cold  night. 

"  Pot)r  Jake  !  he  came  to  the  bar,  looking  like  a  sick 
buffalo  in  the  eye.  The  bones  stuck  through  his  skin, 
and  his  hair  was  matted  and  long,  all  over,  just  like  a 
blind  l)ull,  and  white  blisters  spotted  him.      '  Hatch,  old 


462  THE   GREAT   SALT. LAKE   TRAIL 

fellow  !  you  here  too  ?  —  how  are  you  ?  '  says  he,  in  a  faint- 
like  voice,  staggering  and  catching  on  to  the  bar  for 
support  —  '  I'm  sorry  to  see  you  here  ;  what  did  you  do  ? ' 
He  raised  his  eyes  to  the  old  man  standing  behind  me, 
who  gave  him  such  a  look,  he  went  howling  and  foaming 
at  the  mouth  to  the  fur  end  of  the  den  and  fell  down, 
rolling  over  the  damp  stones.  The  devils,  who  was 
chuckling  by  a  furnace  where  was  irons  a-heating,  ap- 
proached easy,  and  run  one  into  his  back.  I  jumped 
at  them  and  hollered,  '  You  owdacious  little  hell-pups, 
let  him  alone  ;  if  my  scalp-taker  was  here,  I'd  make  buz- 
zard feed  of  your  meat,  and  parfleche  of  your  dog-skins,' 
but  they  squeaked  out,  to  '  go  to  the  devil.' 

"  '  Waugh  ! '  says  I,  '  if  I  ain't  pretty  close  to  his  lodge, 
I'm  a  nigger  ! ' 

"  The  old  gentleman  speaks  up,  '  Take  care  of  yourself, 
j\Ir.  Hatcher,'  in  a  mighty  soft  kind  voice,  and  he  smiled 
so  calm  and  devilish  —  it  nigh  froze  me.  I  thought  if  the 
ground  would  open  with  an  earthquake,  and  take  me  in, 
I'd  be  much  obliged  anyhow.  Thinks  I,  '  You  saint-for- 
saken, infernal  hell-chief,  how  I'd  like  to  stick  my  knife 
in  your  withered  old  bread-basket.' 

"'Ah  !  my  dear  fellow,  no  use  trying — that's  a  decided 
impossibility.'  I  jumped  ten  feet.  I  swear  a  medicine- 
man couldn't  a-heard  me,  for  my  lips  didn't  move,  and 
how  he  knew  is  more  than  this  boss  can  tell. 

" '  I  see  your  nervous  equilibrium  is  destroyed ;  come 
with  me.' 

"  At  the  other  side  the  old  gentleman  told  me  to  reach 
down  for  a  brass  knob.  I  thought  a  trick  was  going  to 
be  played  on  me,  and  I  dodged. 

" '  Do  not  be  afraid  ;  turn  it  when  you  pull  ;  steady  ; 
there,  that's  it.'     It  came,  and  a  door  shut  of  itself. 

"  '  Mighty  good  hinges  !  '  said  I,  '  don't  make  any 
noise,  and  go  shut  without  slamming  and  cussing  them.' 


IN  A  trapper's  bivouac  463 

"'Yes  —  yes  I  some  of  my  own  importution.  No,  they 
were  never  made  here.' 

"  It  was  dark  at  tirst,  but  wlieuever  the  other  door  opened, 
there  was  too  much  light.  In  another  room  there  was  a 
table  in  the  middle,  with  two  bottles,  and  little  glasses 
like  them  in  St.  Louis  at  the  drink-houses,  only  prettier. 
A  soft,  thick  carpet  was  on  the  floor,  and  a  square  glass 
lam[)  hung  from  the  ceiling.  I  sat  cross-legged  on  the 
floor,  and  he  on  a  sofa,  his  feet  cocked  on  a  cliair,  and  his 
tail  coiled  under  him,  comfortable  as  traders  in  a  lodge. 
He  hollered  something,  I  couldn't  make  out,  and  in  comes 
two  black  crook-shanked  devils  with  a  round  bench  and 
a  glass  with  cigars  in  it.  They  vamosed,  and  the  old 
coon,  inviting  me  to  take  a  cigar,  helps  himself,  and  reared 
his  Jiead  back,  while  I  sorter  la3's  on  the  floor,  and  we 
smoked  and  talked. 

"  '  But  have  we  not  been  sitting  long  enougli?  Take  a 
fresh  cigar,  and  we  will  walk.  That  was  Purgatory 
where  your  quondam  friend,  Jake  Beloo,  is.  He  will 
remain  there  awhile  longer,  and,  if  you  desire  it  can  go, 
though  it  cost  much  exertion  to  entice  lum  here,  and  then 
only  after  he  had  drunk  hard.* 

" '  I  wish  you  would,  sir.  Jake  was  as  good  a  com- 
panion as  ever  trapped  beaver,  or  gnawed  poor  bull  in 
the  spring,  and  he  treated  his  squaw  as  if  she  was  a  white 


woman.' 


"  '  For  your  sake  I  will  ;  we  may  see  others  of  our 
acquaintance  before  leaving  this,'  says  he,  sorter  queer- 
like, as  if  to  mean,  no  doubt  of  it. 

"The  door  of  the  room  we  had  l)uen  talking  in  shut  of 
its  own  accord.  We  stooped,  and  he  touched  a  spring  in 
the  wall,  a  trap-door  flew  open,  sliowing  a  flight  of  steps. 
He  went  first,  cautioning  me  not  to  slip  on  the  dark  stairs  ; 
but  I  shouted  not  to  mind  me,  but  thanked  him  for  telling 
me,  though. 


464:  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TKATL 

"  We  went  down  and  down,  until  I  began  to  think  the 
old  cuss  was  going  to  get  me  safe  too,  so  I  sung  out,  • — 
'  Hello  !  which  way  ;  we  must  be  mighty  nigh  under 
Wah-to-yah,  we've  been  going  on  so  long  ? ' 

"  '  Yes,'  said  he,  much  astonished ;  'we're  just  under  the 
Twins.  Why,  turn  and  twist  you  ever  so  much,  you  do 
not  lose  your  reckoning.' 

"  '  Not  by  a  long  chalk  !  This  child  had  his  bringing- 
up  at  W^apakonnetta,  and  that's  a  fact.' 

"  From  the  bottom  we  went  on  in  a  dampish  sort  of  a 
passage,  gloomily  lit  up  with  one  candle.  Tlie  grease 
was  running  down  the  block  that  had  an  auger-hole  bored 
in  it  for  a  candlestick,  and  the  long  snuff  to  the  end  was 
red,  and  the  blaze  clung  to  it  as  if  it  hated  to  part  com- 
pany, and  turned  black,  and  smoked  at  the  point  in  mourn- 
ing. The  cold  chills  shook  me,  and  the  old  gentleman 
kept  so  still,  the  echoes  of  my  feet  rolled  back  so  solemn 
and  hollow,  I  wanted  liquor  mighty  bad  —  mighty  bad  ! 

''  There  was  a  noise  smothered-like,  and  some  poor 
fellow  would  cry  out  worse  than  Comanches  a-charging. 
A  door  opened,  and  the  old  gentleman  touching  me  on  the 
back,  I  went  in  and  he  followed.  It  flew  to,  and  though 
I  turned  right  around,  to  look  for  sign  to  escape,  if  the 
place  got  too  hot,  I  couldn't  find  it. 

"  '  What  now,  are  you  dissatisfied?  ' 

" '  Oh,  no  !  I  was  just  looking  to  see  what  sort  of  a 
lodge  you  have.' 

"  '  I  understand  you  perfectly,  sir;  be  not  afraid.' 

"  My  eyes  were  blinded  in  the  light,  but  rubbing  them, 
I  saw  two  big  snakes  coming  at  me,  their  yellow  and 
blood-shot  eyes  shining  awfully,  and  their  big  red  tongues 
darting  backwards  and  forwards,  like  a  panther's  paw 
when  he  slaps  it  on  a  deer,  and  their  jaws 'wide  open, 
showing  long,  slim,  white  fangs.  On  my  right  four  ugly 
animals  jumped  at  me,  and  rattled  their  chains  —  I  swear 


IN    A   TRAPI'EU'S    BIVOUAC  4G5 

their  heads  was  hiijLirei-  than  a  buffah)'s  in  snmmer.  The 
snakes  hissed  and  showed  their  teeth,  and  hislicd  their 
tails,  and  the  dogs  howled  and  grf)wled  and  charged, 
and  the  licfht  from  the  furnace  Hashed  out  hrisj^hter  and 
brighter;  and  above  nie,  and  around  nie,  a  hnndred  devils 
yelletl  and  laughed  and  swore  and  spit,  and  snapped 
their  bony  lingers  in  my  face,  and  leaped  up  to  the  ceil- 
ing into  the  black,  long  spider-webs,  and  rode  on  the 
spiders  which  was  bigger  than  a  powder-horn,  and  jumped 
onto  my  head.  Then  they  all  formed  in  line,  and  marched 
and  hooted  and  yelled  ;  and  when  the  snakes  joined  the 
procession,  the  devils  leaped  on  their  backs  and  rode. 
Then  some  smaller  ones  rocked  up  and  down  on  springing 
boards,  and  when  the  snakes  came  opposite,  darted  way 
up  in  the  air  and  dived  down  their  mouths,  screeching 
like  so  many  Pawnee  Indians  for  scalps.  When  the 
snakes  was  in  front  of  us,  the  little  devils  came  to  the 
end  of  the  snakes'  tongues,  laughing  and  dancing,  and 
singing  like  idiots.  Then  the  big  dogs  jumped  clean 
over  us,  gt  "^-.ng  louder  than  a  cavayard  of  grizzly  bear, 
and  the  deviiC;  holding  on  to  their  tails,  flopped  over  my 
head,  screaming  — '  We've  got  you  —  we've  got  you  at 
last ! ' 

"  I  couldn't  stand  it  no  longer,  and  shutting  my  eyes,  I 
yelled  right  out,  and  groaned. 

" '  Be  not  alarmed,'  and  my  friend  drew  his  fingers 
along  my  head  and  back,  and  pulled  a  little  narrow  black 
flask  from  ids  pocket,  with  —  'Here,  take  some  of  this.' 

"  I  swallowed  a  few  drops.  It  tasted  sweetish  and  bit- 
terish —  I  don't  exactly  know  how,  but  as  soon  as  it  was 
down,  I  jumped  up  five  times  and  yelled  '  Out  of  tlie 
way,  you  little  ones,  and  let  me  ride  ;  '  and  after  running 
alongside,  and  climbing  up  his  slimy  scales,  I  got  straddle 
of  a  big  snake,  wdio  turned  his  licad  round,  blowing  his 
hot,  sickening  breath  in  my  face.  1  waved  my  old  wool 
2h 


466  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

hat,  and  kicking  him  into  a  fast  run,  sung  out  to  the  little 
devils  to  get  up  behind,  and  off  we  started,  screeching, 
'  Hurrah  for  Hell  I '  The  old  gentleman  rolled  over  and 
bent  himself  double  with  laughing,  till  he  pretty  nigh 
choked.  We  kept  going  faster  and  faster  till  I  got  on  to 
my  feet,  although  the  scales  was  mighty  slipper}^  and 
danced  Injun,  and  whooped  louder  than  them  all. 

"  All  at  once  the  old  gentleman  stopped  laughing, 
pulled  his  spectacles  down  on  his  nose,  and  said,  '  Mr. 
Hatcher,  we  had  better  go  now,'  and  then  he  spoke  some- 
thing I  couldn't  make  out,  and  all  the  animals  stood  still ; 
I  slid  off,  and  the  little  hell-cats,  a-pinching  my  ears  and 
pulling  my  beard,  went  off  squealing.  Then  they  all 
formed  in  a  half  moon  before  us  —  the  snakes  on  their 
tails,  with  heads  Avay  up  to  the  black  cobwebbed  roof, 
the  dogs  reared  on  their  hind  feet,  and  the  little  devils 
hanging  everywhere.  Then  they  all  roared,  and  hissed, 
and  screeched  several  times,  and  wheeling  off,  disappeared 
just  as  the  lights  went  out,  leaving  us  in  the  dark. 

" '  Mr.  Hatcher,'  said  the  old  gentleman  again,  moving 
off,  '  you  will  please  amuse  yourself  until  I  return  ;  '  but 
seeing  me  look  wild,  said,  '  You  have  seen  too  much  of  me 
to  feel  alarmed  for  your  own  safety.  Take  this  imp  for 
your  guide,  and  if  he  is  impertinent,  put  him  through  ;  and 
for  fear  the  exhibitions  may  overcome  your  nerves,  imbibe 
of  this  cordial,'  which  I  did,  and  everything  danced  before 
my  eyes,  and  I  wasn't  a  bit  scared. 

"  I  started  for  a  red  light  that  came  through  the  crack 
of  a  door,  and  stumbled  over  a  three-legged  chair,  as  I 
pitched  my  last  cigar-stump  to  one  of  the  dogs  chained 
to  the  wall,  who  caught  it  in  his  mouth.  When  the  door 
was  opened  by  my  guide,  I  saw  a  big  blaze  like  a  prairie 
fire,  red  and  gloomy  ;  and  big  black  smoke  was  curling 
and  twisting  and  spreading,  and  the  flames  a-licking  the 
walls,  going  up  to  a  point,  and  breaking  into  a  wide  blaze, 


IN  A  tkaim'i:k"s  I'.ivouAc  467 

with  white  and  green  ends.  Tlifre  was  bells  a-tolliiig, 
anil  chains  a-clinkiiig,  and  mad  howls  and  sereanis ;  but 
the  old  gentleman's  medicine  nuide  me  feel  as  inde[)eii- 
dent  as  a  trapper  with  his  animals  feeding  around  him, 
two  pack  of  beaver  in  camp,  with  traps  sot  for  more. 

"Close  to  the  hot  place  was  a  lot  of  merry  devils 
laughing  and  shouting,  with  an  old  pack  of  greasy  cards 
—  it  reminded  me  of  them  we  used  to  play  with  at  the 
Rendezvous  —  shullling  them  to  the  time  of  the  Devil's 
Dream,  and  Money  Musk  ;  then  they'd  deal  in  slow  time, 
with  the  Dead  March  in  Saul,  whistling  as  solemn  as 
medicine-men.  Then  they  broke  out  sudden  with  Paddy 
O'Rafferty,  Aviiich  made  this  hoss  move  about  in  his  moc- 
casins so  lively  that  one  of  them  that  was  playing  looked 
up  and  said,  'Mr.  Hatcher,  Avon't  you  take  a  hand? 
Make  way,  boys,  for  the  gentleman.' 

"  Down  I  got  amongst  them,  but  stepped  on  one  little 
fellow's  tail,  Avho  had  been  leading  the  Irish  jig.  He 
hollered  till  1  got  off  it,  'Owch  !  but  it's  on  my  tail  ye 
are  . 

"  '  Pardon,'  said  I,  •  Ijut  you  are  an  Irishman  ! ' 

"' Xo,  indeed  !  I'm  a  hell-imp,  he  I  he  !  who-oop  !  I-'m 
a  hell-imp,'  and  he  laughed  and  pulled  my  beard,  and 
screeched  till  the  rest  threatened  to  choke  him  if  he  didn't 
stop. 

" '  ^yhat's  trumps  ?  "  said  I,  '  and  whose  deal  ? ' 

"  '  Here's  my  place,'  said  one,  '  I'm  tired  of  playing  ;  take 
a  horn,'  handing  me  a  black  bottle  ;  '  the  game's  poker,  and 
it's  your  next  deal  —  there's  a  bigger  game  of  poker  on 
hand ; '  and  picking  up  an  iron  rod  heating  in  the  fire,  he 
punched  a  miserable  fellow  behind  the  bars,  who  cussed 
him  and  ran  away  into  the  blaze  out  of  his  reach. 

"'  I  thought  I  was  great  at  poker  by  the  way  I  gathered 
in  the  beaver-skins  at  the  Rendezvous,  but  here  the  slick 
devils  beat   me  Avithout  half  trying.     ^Vllen  they'd  slap 


468  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

down  a  Inilly  pair,  they'd  screech  und  hiugli  worse  than 
trappers  on  a  spree. 

"  Says  one,  '  Mr.  Hatcher,  I  reckon  you're  a  hoss  at 
poker  away  m  your  country,  but  you  can't  shine  down 
liere  —  you  ain't  nowhere.  That  fellow  looking  at  us 
through  the  bars  was  a  preacher  up  in  the  world.  When 
we  first  got  him,  he  was  all-fired  hot  and  thirsty.  We 
would  dip  our  fingers  in  water,  and  let  it  run  in  his 
mouth,  to  get  him  to  teach  us  the  best  tricks  —  he's  a 
trump ;  he  would  stand  and  stamp  the  hot  coals,  and 
dance  up  and  down  while  he  told  his  experience.  Whoop- 
ee !  how  he  would  laugh  !  He  has  delivered  two  long 
sermons  of  a  Sunday,  and  played  poker  at  night  of  five- 
cent  antes,  with  the  deacons,  for  the  money  bagged  that 
day  ;  and  when  he  was  in  debt  he  exhorted  the  congrega- 
tion to  give  more  for  the  poor  heathen  in  a  foreign  land, 
a-dying  and  losing  their  souls  for  the  want  of  a  little 
money  to  send  them  a  gospel  preacher  —  that  the  poor 
heathen  would  be  damned  to  eternal  fire  if  they  didn't 
make  up  the  dough.  The  gentleman  that  showed  you 
around  —  old  Sate,  we  call  him  —  had  his  eyes  on  the 
preacher  for  a  long  time.  When  we  got  him,  we  had  a 
barrel  of  liquor  and  carried  him  around  on  our  shoulders, 
until  tired  of  the  fun,  and  threw  him  in  the  furnace  yon- 
der. We  call  him  "Poke,"  for  that  was  his  favourite 
game.  Oh,  Poke,'  shouted  my  friend,  '  come  here  ;  here's 
a  gentleman  who  wants  to  see  you  —  we'll  give  you  five 
drops  of  Avater,  and  that's  more  than  your  old  skin's 
worth.' 

"  He  came  close,  and  though  his  face  was  poor,  and  all 
scratched,  and  his  hair  singed  mighty  nigh  off,  make  meat 
of  this  hoss,  if  it  wasn't  old  Cormon,  that  used  to  preach 
in  the  Wapakonnetta  settlement  !  Many  a  time  he's 
made  my  hair  stand  on  end  when  he  preached  about  the 
other  world.     He  came  closer,  and  I  could  see  the  chains 


IN    A    TI:A1M'KK"s    I51VOUAC  469 

tied  on  his  wrists,  where  they  liad  worn  to  tlie  bone.  lie 
looked  a  darned  sight  worse  tlian  if  the  Conianelies  had 
scalped  him. 

''  •  Hello  I  old  coon,'  said  I,  '  we're  both  in  that  awful 
place  you  talked  so  nuich  about  ;  but  I  ain't  so  bad  off  as 
you  yet.  This  youni^  gentleman,'  pointing  to  the  devil 
who  told  me  of  his  doings  — '  this  gentleman  has  been  tell- 
ing me  how  you  took  the  money  you  made  us  throw  in 
on  Sunday.' 

"  '^  Yes,'  said  he,  'if  I  had  only  acted  as  I  told  others  to 
do,  I  would  not  have  been  scorching  here  for  ever  and 
ever  —  water  I  water  I  John,  my  son,  for  my  sake,  a  little 
water.' 

"Just  then  a  little  rascal  stuck  a  hot  iron  into  him,  and 
off  he  ran  in  the  flames,  'cacheing'  on  the  cool  side  of  a  big 
chunk  of  fire,  a-looking  at  us  for  water  ;  but  I  cared  no 
more  for  him  tlian  the  Pawnee  whose  scalp  was  tucked 
in  my  belt  for  stealing  my  horses  on  Coon  Creek  ;  and  I 
said :  — 

'• '  This  boss  doesn't  care  a  cuss  for  you  ;  you're  a  sneak- 
ing hypocrite  ;  you  deserve  all  you've  got  and  more  too 
—  and  look  here,  old  boy,  it's  me  that  says  so.' 

"I  strayed  off  a  piece,  pretending  to  get  cool,  but  this 
boss  began  to  get  scared,  and  that's  a  fact;  for  the  devils 
carried  Cormon  until  they  got  tired  of  him,  and,  said  I  to 
myself,  '  Ain't  they  been  doing  me  the  same  way  ?  I'll 
cache,  I  will.' 

"  Well,  now,  I  felt  sort  of  queer,  so  I  saunters  along 
kind  o'  slowly,  until  I  saw  an  open  place  in  the  rock,  not 
minding  the  imps  who  was  drinking  away  like  trappers  on 
a  bust.  It  was  so  dark  there,  I  felt  my  way  mighty  still, 
for  I  was  afraid  they'd  be  after  me.  I  got  almost  to  a 
streak  of  light  when  there  was  such  a  rumpus  in  the  cave 
that  gave  me  tlie  trembles.  Doors  was  slamming,  dogs 
growling   and    rattling  tlieir    chains,  and    all    the    dev'ils 


470  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

a-screaming.  They  come  a-charging ;  the  snakes  was 
hissing  sharp  and  wiry  ;  the  beasts  howled  long  and 
mournfnl,  and  thunder  rolled  up  overhead,  and  the  imps 
was  yelling  and  screeching  like  they  was  mad. 

"  It  was  time  to  break  for  timber,  sure,  and  I  run  as  if 
a  wounded  buffalo  was  raising  my  shirt  with  his  horns. 
The  place  was  damp,  and  in  the  narrow  rock,  lizards  and 
vipers  and  copperheads  jumped  out  at  me,  and  climbed 
on  my  legs,  but  I  stamped  and  shook  them  off.  Owls, 
too,  flopped  their  wings  in  my  face  and  hooted  at  me,  and 
fire  blazed  out  and  lit  the  place  up,  and  brimstone  smoke 
came  nigh  choking  me.  Looking  back,  the  whole  cava- 
yard  of  hell  was  coming ;  nothing  but  devils  on  devils 
filled  the  hole  ! 

"  I  threw  down  my  hat  to  run  faster,  and  then  jerked 
off  my  old  blanket,  but  still  they  was  gaining  on  me.  I 
made  one  jump  clean  out  of  my  moccasins.  The  big 
snake  in  front  was  getting  closer  and  closer,  with  his 
head  drawed  back  to  strike  ;  then  a  hell-dog  run  up  nearly 
alongside,  panting  and  blowing  with  the  slobber  running 
out  of  his  mouth,  and  a  lot  of  devils  hanging  on  to  him, 
who  was  a-cussing  me  and  screeching.  I  strained  every 
joint,  but  it  was  no  use,  they  still  gained  —  not  fast  —  but 
gaining.  I  jumped  and  swore,  and  leaned  down,  and 
flung  out  my  hands,  but  the  dogs  was  nearer  every  time, 
and  the  horrid  yelling  and  hissing  way  back  grew  louder 
and  louder.  At  last,  a  prayer  mother  used  to  make  me 
say,  I  hadn't  thought  of  for  twenty  years,  came  right 
before  me  as  clear  as  a  powder-horn.  I  kept  running  and 
saying  it,  and  the  darned  devils  held  back  a  little.  I 
gained  some  on  them.  I  stopped  repeating  it,  to  get  my 
breath,  when  the  foremost  dog  made  a  lunge  at  me  —  I  had 
forgot  it.  Turning  up  my  eyes,  there  was  the  old  gentle- 
man looking  at  me,  and  keeping  alongside  without  walk- 
ing.    His  face  wasn't  more  than  two  feet  off,  and  his  eyes 


IN    A    TUAITEU'S    UiVULAC  471 

was  fixed  steady,  and  calm  and  devilish.  I  screamed  right 
out.  I  shut  luy  eyes,  but  he  was  there  still.  I  howled 
and  spit,  and  hit  at  it,  but  couldn't  get  his  darned  face 
away.  .V  dog  caugiit  hold  of  my  shirt  with  his  fangs, 
and  two  devils,  jumping  on  nie,  caught  me  by  the  throat, 
a-trying  to  choke  me.  While  I  was  pulling  them  otf,  I 
fell  down,  with  about  thirty-five  of  the  infernal  things 
and  the  dogs  and  the  slimy  snakes  on  top  of  me,  a-mash- 
ing  and  tearing  me.  I  bit  pieces  out  of  them,  and  bit 
again,  and  scratched  and  gouged.  When  I  was  'most 
give  out,  I  heard  the  Pawnee  scalp-yell,  and  use  my  rifle 
for  a  poking  stick,  if  in  didn't  charge  a  part}'  of  the  best 
boys  in  the  mountains.  They  slayed  the  devils  right  and 
left,  and  set  them  running  like  goats,  but  this  boss  was 
so  weak  fighting  he  fainted  away.  When  I  come  to,  I 
was  on  the  Purgatoire,  just  where  I  found  the  liquor,  and 
some  trappers  was  slapping  their  '  whats '  in  my  face  to 
bring  me  to.  All  around  where  I  was  laying,  the  grass 
was  pulled  up,  and  the  ground  dug  with  my  knife,  and 
the  bottle,  cached  when  I  traded  with  the  Utes,  was 
smashed  to  flinders  against  a  tree. 

" '  Why,  what  on  earth.  Hatcher,  have  you  been  doing 
here  ?  You  was  kicking  and  tearing  around,  and  yelling 
as  if  your  scalp  was  taken.  We  don't  understand  these 
hifalootin  notions.' 

"  '  The  devils  of  hell  was  after  me,'  said  I,  mighty  gruff. 
'  This  boss  has  seen  more  of  them  than  he  ever  wants  to 
see  again.' 

"  They  tried  to  get  me  out  of  the  notion,  but  I  swear, 
and  I'll  stick  to  it,  I  saw  a  heap  more  of  the  all-fired  place 
than  I  want  to  again.  If  it  ain't  a  fact,  I  don't  know 
fat  cow  from  poor  bull." 

Hatcher  always  ended  his  yarn  with  this  declaration, 
and  you  could  never  make  him  believe  that  he  had  had 
only  a  touch  of  delirium  tremens. 


472  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

This  story  is  related  b}^  Colonel  W.  F.  Cody:  — 

"  111  18G1  two  military  expeditions  were  sent  into  the 
northwest  country  to  disperse  any  hostile  gatherings  of 
Indians,  one  expedition  starting  from  Fort  Lincoln  on 
the  Missouri  River  under  command  of  General  George  A. 
Custer.  It  was  on  this  expedition  that  Custer  discovered 
gold  in  the  Black  Hills,  a  discovery  which  finally  led  up 
to  the  great  Sioux  war  of  1876,  when  he  lost  his  life  in 
the  battle  of  the  Little  Big  Horn.  The  other  expedition 
started  from  Rawlins  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  to  go 
north  into  the  Big  Horn  Basin  in  the  Big  Horn  Mountain 
country.  This  expedition  was  commanded  by  Colonel 
Anson  Mills.  I  was  chief  scout  and  guide  of  the  expedi- 
tion. 

"One  day,  when  we  were  on  the  Great  Divide  of  the 
Big  Horn  Mountains,  the  command  had  stopped  to  let  the 
pack-train  close  up.  While  we  were  resting  there,  quite 
a  number  of  officers  and  myself  were  talking  to  Colonel 
Mills,  when  we  noticed,  coming  from  the  direction  in 
which  we  were  going,  a  solitary  horseman  about  three 
miles  distant.  He  was  coming  from  the  ridge  of  the 
mountains.  The  colonel  asked  me  if  I  had  any  scouts 
out  in  that  direction,  and  I  told  him  I  had  not.  We 
naturally  supposed  tliat  it  was  an  Indian.  He  kept 
drawing  nearer  and  nearer  to  us,  until  we  made  out  it  was 
a  white  man,  and  as  he  came  on  I  recognized  him  to  be 
California  Joe.^ 

"When  he  got  within  hailing  distance,  I  sung  out, 
'Hello,  Joe,'    and  he  answered,    'Hello,  Bill.'      I  said: 

1  If  "  California  Joe  "  had  any  other  name,  but  few  knew  it ;  he  was  a 
grizzhnl  trapper  and  scout  of  the  old  regime.  He  was  the  best  all-round 
shot  on  the  plains.  He  was  the  first  man  to  ride  with  General  .Custer 
into  the  village  of  Black  Kettle,  of  the  Cheyenncs,  when  that  chief's  band 
was  annihilated  in  the  battle  of  the  Washita,  in  November,  1868,  by  the 
U.  S.  Cavalry  and  the  Nineteenth  Kansas.  Joe  was  murdered  in  the 
Black  Hills  several  years  ago. 


IN  A  tkaitek's  bivouac  473 

'  Where  in  tlie  world  are  you  going  to,  out  in  this 
country  ? "  (^We  were  then  about  iive  hundred  miles 
from  any  part  of  civilization.)  He  saiil  he  was  just  out 
for  a  morning  ride.  1  introduced  him  to  the  colonel  and 
othcers,  who  had  all  heard  and  read  of  him,  for  he  had 
been  made  famous  in  Custer's  Life  on  the  Plains.  He 
was  a  tall  man,  about  six  feet  three  inches  in  his  mocca- 
sins, with  reddish  gray  hair  and  whiskers,  very  thin, 
nothing  but  bone,  sinew,  and  muscle.  He  was  riding  an 
old  cayuse  pony,  with  an  old  saddle,  a  very  old  bridle, 
and  a  pair  of  elk-skin  hobbles  attached  to  his  saddle,  to 
which  also  hung  a  piece  of  elk-meat.  He  carried  an  old 
Hawkins  ritle.  He  had  an  old  shabby  army  hat  on,  and 
a  ragged  blue  army  overcoat,  a  buckskin  shirt,  and  a  pair 
of  dilapidated  greasy  buckskin  pants  that  reached  only  a 
little  below  his  knees,  having  shrunk  in  the  wet  ;  he 
also  wore  a  pair  of  old  army  government  boots  with  the 
soles  worn  off.     That  was  his  make-up. 

''  I  remember  the  colonel  asking  him  if  he  had  been 
very  successful  in  life.  He  pointed  to  the  old  ca^'use 
pony,  his  gun,  and  his  clothes,  and  replied,  'This  is 
seventy  years'  gathering.'  Colonel  Mills  then  asked  him 
if  he  would  have  anything  to  eat ;  he  said  he  had  plenty 
to  eat,  all  he  wanted  was  tobacco.  Tobacco  was  very 
scarce  in  the  command,  but  they  rounded  him  up  sufficient 
to  do  him  that  dav.  When  invited  to  oro  with  us,  he  said 
he  was  not  particular  where  he  went,  he  would  just  as 
soon  go  one  way  as  the  other  ;  he  remained  with  us  sev- 
eral days,  in  fact,  he  stayed  the  entire  trip. 

"He  was  of  great  assistance  to  me,  as  he  knew  the 
country  thorougidy.  He  was  a  fine  mountain  guide,  but 
I  could  seldom  tind  him  when  I  most  needed  him,  as  he 
was  generally  back  with  the  column,  telling  frontier 
sto.vies  and  yarns  to  the  soldiers  for  a  chew  of  tobacco. 

'•One  day  I  rode  back  from  the  advance  guard  to  ask 


474  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

the  colonel  how  far  he  wanted  to  go  before  camping,  and 
while  I  Avas  riding  along  talking  to  him,  we  noticed  that 
the  advance  guard  had  stopped  and  were  standing  in  a 
circle,  evidently  looking  at  something  very  intently. 
They  were  so  interested  that  they  did  not  come  to  their 
senses  until  the  colonel  and  myself  rode  in  among  them. 
Then  they  immediately  moved  forward,  leaving  the  colo- 
nel and  myself  to  see  what  they  had  been  investigating. 
It  was  a  lone  grave  in  the  desolate  mountains,  and  who- 
ever had  been  buried  there  evidently  had  friends,  because 
the  spot  was  nicely  covered  with  stones  to  prevent  the 
wolves  from  digging  up  the  corpse. 

"We  were  looking  at  this  grave  when  old  Joe  rode  up, 
and  as  he  stopped  he  threw  down  his  hat  on  the  pile  of 
rocks  and  said,  'At  last.' 

"  The  colonel  said,  '  Joe,  do  you  know  anything  about 
the  history  of  this  grave  ?  '     Joe  replied,  — 

"  Well  I  should  think  I  did.'  The  colonel  then  asked 
him  to  tell  us  about  it.     Joe  said  :  — 

"  '  In  1816  '  —  we  didn't  stop  to  think  how  far  back  1816 
was  —  'I  had  been  to  Astoria  at  the  mouth  of  the  Colum- 
bia River  with  a  company  of  fur  traders,  and  had  been 
tra]3ping  in  that  country  for  two  or  three  years,  and  by 
that  time  the  party  had  made  up  their  minds  they  would 
start  back  to  the  States,  across  the  mountains.  They 
were  headed  for  the  Missouri  River,  and  when  they  got 
there,  they  intended  to  build  a  boat  and  float  down  to 
St.  Louis.  As  they  were  coming  across  the  Continental 
Divide  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  had  reached  the  eastern 
slope,  and  were  coming  down  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
Stinking  Water,  some  one  of  the  j)arty  discovered  what 
he  thought  to  be  gold  nuggets  in  the  bed  of  the  stream. 
The  water  was  clear.  Every  man  went  down  to  the 
water  prospecting.  The  stream  was  so  full  of  gold  nug- 
gets that  they  all  jumped  off  their  horses,  leaving  them 


IN    A    TKAl'l'EllS    j;l\(il   A.  4(£) 

packed  as  tliey  were,  and  eommeiiced  throwing  gold  nug- 
gets out  on  the  banks. 

"They  ahandoned  everytliing  they  had  witli  tlieni,  pro- 
visions and  all,  excepting  their  rifles,  and  jjrepared  to 
load  tlic  gold. 

•• '  Then  they  started  for  the  Missouri  liiver  asjain,  and 
when  they  reached  the  spot  wdiere  this  grave  was,  a  man 
was  taken  suddenly  ill,  died  in  a  very  few  minutes,  and 
they  buried  him  there.' 

"Old  Joe  gave  a  sly  wink,  as  much  as  to  say,  'We 
buried  the  money  with  the  man.' 

"At  this  time  quite  a  number  of  officers  gathered  around 
where  the  advance  of  the  command  had  halted,  and  there 
may  have  been  thirty  or  forty  soldiers  listening  to  this 
story ;  there  were  some  who  took  it  to  be  one  of  Joe's 
lies  that  he  usually  told  for  tobacco. 

"The  colonel  ordered  the  bugler  to  sound  'forward.' 
The  command  moved  on  and  within  five  or  six  miles  went 
into  camp.  But  every  man  who  had  listened  to  Joe's  story 
of  this  grave,  feeling  that  there  was  some  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  buried  in  it,  gave  it  a  look  as  they  passed  by. 

"We  moved  on  and  went  into  camp.  Joe  was  messing 
with  me,  and  after  we  had  supper  he  said,  '  Bill,  would  you 
like  to  see  a  little  fun  to-night?'  I  said,  '  Yes,  I  am  in 
for  fun  or  anything  else.'  He  said,  'As  soon  as  it  gets 
dark  you  follow  me.'  I  said,' '  You  bet  I  will  follow  you,' 
thinking  all  the  time  that  he  was  going  back  to  dig  this 
fellow  up. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  he  started  and  motioned  me  to 
follow  him,  but,  instead  of  going  back  on  the  trail,  he  went 
in  the  direction  that  we  intended  to  go  in  the  morning. 
Thinks  I  to  myself,  '  That  is  good  medicine,  we  won't  go 
directly  back  on  the  trail  but  follow  another.' 

"I  asked  liitn  if  we  did  not  want  to  take  a  pick  and 
shovel  with  us,  and  lu'  said,  'What  for?'     I  said,  'We 


476 


THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 


will  need  it.'  He  said,  '  No,  we  won't  need  it ;  you  come 
on.' 

"  When  we  got  outside  the  camp  he  commenced  to  turn 
around  to  the  left,  getting  back  on  our  trail.  I  said, 
'This  is  all  right.'  He  was  now  going  back  toward  the 
grave.  We  went  about  a  mile  on  the  trail  and  he  said, 
'  Sit  down  here.'  1  said,  '  Don't  we  want  to  go  on?  '  He 
said,  'What  for?'  I  said,  'To  dig  that  fellow  up  and 
get  the  money.'  He  said,  'The  money  be  damned;  I 
never  saw  the  bloomin'  grave  before,'  or  something  like 
that.  I  was  disappointed.  He  said,  '  Wait  a  few  min- 
utes until  after  "  taps,"  and  you  will  see  that  camp  empty 
itself.' 

"  Presently  here  they  came,  scouts,  soldiers,  and  pack- 
ers by  the  dozen,  sneaking  through  the  brush  and  hurry- 
ing back  on  the  trail.  Old  Joe  laid  down  behind  this 
bowlder  and  just  rolled  with  laughter  to  see  them  going 
to  dig  up  the  grave. 

"  The  next  morning  the  boys  told  me  that  they  dug  up 
the  grave  and  found  some  bones ;  they  dug  up  a  quarter 
of  an  acre  of  ground  and  never  got  the  colour  of  a  piece 
of  gold;  then  they  'tumbled.'" 

.      ^'^^^^ 


/ooo  /Y/Ze //cr.  l/c/>er Cd/?on  l/fS. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

MORE    STORIES    OF   THE    TRAIL  —  FRAZIER    AND    THE    BEAR AN 

IXDIAN  ELOPEMEXT THE   OGALLALLAS    AND    TIIK    HRUI.ES 

CHAF-FA-LY-A KIT  CARSOX  OX  THE  YELLOWSTONE BATTLE 

WITH    THE    BLACKFEET CARSOX^,    BKIDGEK,    AXD    BAKER    ON 

THE    PLATTE JIM    COCKRELL PEG    LEG    SMITH 


/i//  Cdoon. 


XE  of  the  Old  American 
Fur  Company's  trappers 
l)y  the  name  of  Frazier, 
as  often  tokl  of  him 
around  the  camp-fire, 
was  one  of  those  athletic 
uuMi  N\lio  could  outrun, 
outjunip,  and  throw  down  any 
man  among  the  more  than  a 
hundred  with  whom  he  associ- 
ated at  the  time.  He  was  the 
best  off-hand  sliot  in  the  whole 
crowd,  and  possessed  of  a  remarka- 
bly steady  nerve.  He  met  with  his 
death  in  a  curious  way.  Once  when  a\vay  up  the  Platte 
he  with  one  of  his  companions  were  hunting  for  game  in 
an  aspen  grove.  Suddenly  an  immense  grizzly  bear  came 
ambling  along  about  fifty  yards  away,  evidently  unaware 
of  his  enemy,  man,  being  near  liim.  Frazier  told  his  com- 
rade to  take  to  a  tree,  wliile  he  would  stand  behind  one  of 
the  others  and  kill  the  beast.  He  raised  his  rifle,  tired, 
and  the  bullet  lodged  just  al)ove  tlie  bear's  eye.     As  the 

477 


478  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

ball  struck  Liin,  the  animal  seemed  intuitively  to  get  the 
direction  from  which  it  came,  and  started  for  Frazier. 
The  aspens  have  a  very  smooth,  slippery  bark  and  are 
very  difficult  to  climb.  Frazier  failed  to  get  high  enough 
to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  dying  and  enraged  bear,  and  in 
a  feAV  minutes  was  a  mangled  mass  at  the  foot  of  the  tree, 
both  he  and  the  bear  dead. 

The  majority  of  people,  probably,  imagine  that  the 
white  man  learned  the  art  of  trapping  from  the  Indian  ; 
but  the  converse  is  the  case.  The  savages,  long  before 
their  contact  with  the  white  man,  silently  crept  along  the 
banks  of  the  creeks  and,  caching  themselves  in  the  brush 
on  their  margin,  with  a  patience  characteristic  of  the  race, 
waited  for  the  beaver  to  show  himself  in  the  shallow  water, 
or  crawl  on  the  banks,  when  they  killed  him  with  their 
stone-pointed  arrows.  The  process  was  a  tedious  one, 
and  they  earnestly  desired  to  know  of  some  other  method 
of  capturing  the  wary  little  animal,  so  necessary  in  their 
domestic  economy.  So  to  their  intense  satisfaction,  when 
the  white  man  came  among  them,  they  saw  him  walk 
boldly  along  the  streams  and  place  a  curious  instrument 
in  the  water,  which  caught  the  beaver  and  held  him  until 
the  trapper  was  ready  to  take  him  out. 

With  their  usual  shyness  the  Indians  watched  the  white 
man's  method  from  the  underbrush  skirting  the  margin  of 
the  creeks,  and  when  the  trapper  had  left,  they  stole  his 
trap  and  carried  it  off  to  their  village.  A  long  time 
elapsed  before  the  savage  learned  how  to  use  the  trap 
which  had  so  interested  him.  It  was  not  until  the  white 
man  taught  him  that  he  learned  how  to  watch  the  beaver 
at  work  in  the  pale  moonlight ;  how  to  know  where  the 
beaver-houses  were,  the  proper  method  of  placing  the  trap, 
its  peculiar  bait,  and  then  to  leave  it  to  catch  the  beaver. 

The  following  story  was  told  many  years  ago  by  George 
P.  Belden,  and  it  is  the  second  instance  of  Indian  elope- 


KIT    CAUSOX    ON    TIIH    V  KI.L<  )\VST<JNK  479 

meiit  that  luis  comu  uiuler  tlie  Dbserviitioii  of  the  authors 
of  this  hook.      It  ot'cuned  some  time  in  the  early  '40*s. 

"The  Og-aUalhis  and  IJrules  were  oiiee  the  most  [)o\\t'r- 
ful  tribes  on  the  phiins,  and  were  particuhirly  friendly. 
The  chief  of  the  Brides  was  an  old  and  experienced 
warrior.  The  chief  of  the  Ogallallas  had  a  son  whcjse 
name  was  Souk.  The  old  Brule  frequently  noticed  the 
young  Ogallalla,  and  seemed  mightil}'  pleased  with  him. 
On  one  or  two  occasions  he  spoke  to  Souk  encouragingly, 
and  one  day  went  so  far  as  to  invite  him  to  visit  his  tribe, 
and  spend  a  few  days  at  his  lodge.  These  visits  were 
often  repeated,  and  it  Avas  during  one  of  them  Souk  met 
the  daughter  of  liis  friend,  who  was  the  belle  of  her  tribe, 
and,  besides  her  great  personal  charms,  was  esteemed  to 
be  the  most  virtuous  and  accomplished  young  woman  in 
the  nation.  It  did  not  take  long  for  her  to  make  an  im- 
pression on  the  heart  of  Souk,  and  soon  both  the  young 
people  found  themselves  over  head  and  ears  in  love  with 
each  other. 

"The  Indian  girl  was  proud  of  her  lover,  as  well  she 
might  be,  for  he  was  only  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  tall, 
handsome,  good-tempered,  and  manly  in  his  deportment. 
Besides  these  considerations  in  his  favour,  he  was  virtually 
the  head  of  his  tribe,  and  no  warrior  was  more  renowned 
for  deeds  of  valour.  A  born  chief,  the  idol  of  his  aged 
father,  prepossessing  in  his  appearance,  already  the  leader 
of  his  band  and  its  chief  warrior.  He  was  just  such  a 
person  as  was  likely  to  move  the  heart  and  excite  the 
admiration  of  a  young  girl. 

"  Chaf-fa-ly-a  was  the  only  daughter  of  the  Briile  chief, 
and  the  spoiled  pet  of  her  father.  She  was  tall,  lithe, 
and  agile  as  an  antelope.  She  could  ride  the  wildest 
steed  in  her  father's  herds,  and  no  maiden  in  the  tribe 
could  shoot  her  painted  bow  so  well,  so  daintily  braid  her 
hair,  or  bead  moccasins  as  nicely  as  Chaf-fa-ly-a.     Giving 


480  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

all  the  love  of  her  passionate  nature  to  Souk,  he  loved  her 
with  all  the  strength  of  his  manly  heart  in  return.  Day 
after  day  the  lovers  lingered  side  by  side,  sat  under  the 
shade  of  the  great  trees  by  the  clear-running  brook,  or 
hand  in  hand  gathered  wild  flowers  in  the  shadows  of  the 
hills. 

"Sometimes  Souk  was  at  the  village  of  liis  father,  but 
he  always  made  haste  to  excuse  himself,  and  hurried  back 
to  the  camp  of  the  Briile  chief.  In  truth  he  was  never 
content,  except  when  by  the  side  of  the  bewitching  Chaf- 
fa-ly-a.  The  old  men  knew  of  the  growing  attachment 
between  their  children,  and  seemed  rather  to  encourage 
than  to  oppose  it.  Chaf-fa-ly-a  was  buoyantly  happy, 
and  a  golden  future  seemed  opening  up  before  her.  Souk 
often  reflected  how  happy  he  would  be  when  lie  and  liis 
darling  were  married ;  and  frequently  at  night,  w^lien  the 
stars  were  out,  the  young  lovers  would  sit  for  hours  and 
plan  the  future  happiness  of  themselves  and  the  people 
over  whom  they  would  rule. 

"  One  day  Souk  returned  to  his  father's  camp,  and 
formally  notified  him  of  his  love  for  Chaf-fa-ly-a,  and 
demanded  her  in  marriage.  The  old  chief  listened  atten- 
tively, and  at  the  close  of  Souk's  harangue  rose  and  struck 
the  ground  three  times  with  his  spear,  declaring  that  he 
knew  of  no  reason  why  his  son  should  not  be  made  happy, 
and  have  Chaf-fa-ly-a  to  wife.  The  grateful  Souk  was 
so  overjoyed,  that,  forgetting  his  position  and  the  rank 
of  his  chief,  he  fell  upon  his  neck,  and,  kissing  him  again 
and  again,  actually  shed  tears.  Putting  him  kindly  aside, 
the  father,  well  knowing  the  impatience  of  young  lovers, 
hastily  summoned  three  of  his  most  distinguislied  chiefs, 
and  said  to  them,  '  Mount  your  swiftest  horses  !  go  to  the 
camps  of  the  Brule,  and  when  you  have  come  to  him,  sa}^ 
Souk,  the  son  of  his  old  friend,  loves  his  only  daughter, 
Chaf-fa-ly-a,  and  that  I  demand  her  of  him  in  marriage 


KIT    CAl:.SU^    O-N    TUl;:    V ELLu \V STONE  481 

to  my  son.  Vnii  \\\\\  ulso  say  that,  according  to  the 
ancient  customs  of  our  tiiltcs,  I  will  pay  to  liim  wliatever 
presents  he  may  ileuiainl  lor  the  maiden,  and  that  it  is  my 
desire,  the  t'riemlshi[  hmg  existing  between  ourselves  and 
our  [leople  may  be  cemented  by  the  marriage  of  our 
ehihh'en.' 

'•  liowinir  \o\v,  the  chiefs  retired,  and  were  soon  on  tlieir 
way  to  the  Hrule  viUage,  which  was  three  days'  journey 
distant.  Rather  than  wait  impatiently  in  the  camp  until 
the  chiefs  would  return,  Soidc  proposed  to  go  on  a  short 
huntin*jf  excursion  with  some  warrior  friends  to  whom  he 
could  unbosom  himself. 

"  Meantime  the  chiefs  had  proceeded  on  their  errand, 
and  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day  caught  sight  of  the 
Brule  camp.  They  were  hospitably  received  by  the 
venerable  chief,  who  did  all  in  his  power  to  make  them 
comfortable  after  their  fatiguing  ride.  On  the  following 
morning  the  chief  assembled  his  counsellors,  and,  making  a 
great  dog-feast,  heard  the  request  of  the  ambassadors. 
When  they  had  done  speaking,  the  Brule  rose  and  an- 
nounced his  consent  to  the  marriage,  saying  he  was 
delighted  to  know^  that  his  daughter  was  to  be  the  wife 
of  so  brave  and  worthy  a  young  man  as  the  son  of  his 
friend.  He  then  dismissed  the  chiefs,  stating  that  he 
would  shortl}^  send  an  embassy  to  receive  the  promised 
presents,  and  complete  the  arrangements  for  the  marriage 
of  the  3'oung  couple. 

"  When  the  chiefs  returned  to  their  camp  and  announced 
the  result  of  their  mission,  there  was  great  rejoicing,  and 
Souk,  who  had  cut  his  hunt  short  and  returned  before  the 
chiefs,  was  now,  perhaps,  the  happiest  man  in  the  world. 
There  was  still,  however,  one  thing  which  greatly  troubled 
him.  He  knew  his  father  was  very  proud,  and  considered 
the  honour  of  an  alliance  with  his  family  so  great  that  but 
few  presents  would  be  required  to  be  nuide.     On  the  other 

2i 


482  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

hand,  the  ohl  Brule  was  exceedingly  parsimonious,  and, 
no  doubt,  would  take  this  opportunit}''  to  enrich  himself 
by  demanding  a  great  price  for  his  daughter's  liand. 

"  Determined  not  to  wait  the  pending  negotiations 
before  seeing  his  sweetheart,  Souk  summoned  a  band  of 
his  young  Avarriors,  and,  burning  with  love,  set  out  for  the 
Brule  camp.  It  being  the  month  of  June,  Souk  knew 
the  old  chief  would  have  removed  from  his  winter  encamp- 
ment to  his  summer  hunting-grounds  and  pasture,  on  the 
Lower  Platte.  This  would  require  some  seven  or  eight 
days'  more  travel,  and  carry  him  through  a  portion  of  the 
territory  of  his  enemies  ;  but  love  laughs  at  danger,  and, 
selecting  eight  tried  companions,  he  set  out.  The  even- 
ing of  the  second  day  brought  him  to  the  border  of  his 
father's  dominions,  and,  selecting  a  sheltered  camp  by  the 
side  of  a  little  stream,  they  determined  to  rest  their  ani- 
mals for  a  day  before  crossing  the  territory  of  the  hostile 
Cheyennes. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  they  saddled  their  horses,  and, 
swimming  the  Upper  Platte,  set  out  to  cross  the  enemy's 
lands.  Their  route  lay  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  and 
led  them  over  a  fine  hilly  countr}^  almost  destitute  of 
wood,  except  in  the  deep  valleys  and  narrow  ravines.  The 
sun  had  long  passed  the  meridian,  the  horses  had  rested, 
and  the  travellers  taken  their  midday  meal,  but  as  yet  had 
seen  nothing  to  indicate  that  man  was  anywhere  in  this 
vast  region. 

"  The  sun  was  fast  going  down,  and  they  were  endeav- 
ouring to  reach  a  good  camping-ground  known  to  several 
of  the  party,  when  suddenly,  as  they  were  descending  a 
mountain,  they  saw  below  them  smoke  curling  up,  and,  in 
the  distance,  two  objects  which  looked  like  ants  on  the 
plain.  From  their  position  they  could  not  see  the  fires 
from  whence  the  smoke  arose,  but  the  sight  of  it  caused 
them  hastily  to   dismount  and   lead   their  horses  under 


KIT   CAUSON    ON    TIIH    VKl.l.c  »\\  8TUNE  48^ 

shelter  of  the  projecting  rucks,  that  tlicy   might  nut  be 
discovered. 

"  Two  advanced  on  foot  to  reconnoitre,  creeping  cau- 
tionsly  round  tlio  base  of  the  rocks,  and  Ihoi  (Hiward 
among  faUen  masses  that  completely  screened  them.  At 
length  they  reached  a  point  from  which  they  beheld,  about 
a  Iralf  a  mile  below  them,  an  encampment  of  over  one  hun- 
dred men.  Three  large  fires  were  blazing,  and  while  groups 
were  gathered  around  them,  others  were  picketing  their 
horses,  and  evidently  preparing  to  encamp  for  the  night. 
Souk's  men  had  not  long  been  in  their  observatory  when 
they  saw  two  men  riding  furiously  down  the  valley  toward 
the  camp,  and  they  instantly  surmised  these  were  tlie  tAvo 
black  spots  they  had  seen  on  the  plain,  and  that  Souk  and 
his  party  had  been  discovered.  They  Avere  not  long  left 
in  doubt,  however,  for  as  soon  as  the  horsemen  reached 
the  camp  they  rode  to  the  cliief's  lodge,  commenced  ges- 
ticulating wildly,  and  pointing  toward  the  cliffs  wdiere 
Souk  and  his  men  were.  A  crowd  gathered  around  the 
new-comers,  and  presently  several  w^ere  seen  to  run  to 
their  horses  and  commence  saddling  up.  The  scouts  now 
hastily  left  their  hiding-place,  and  hurried  back  to  Souk, 
whom  they  informed  of  all  that  was  occurring  below. 

"  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost,  and,  ordering  his  men 
to  mount,  Souk  turned  up  the  mountain  along  the  path 
he  had  just  come.  He  knew  he  had  a  dangerous  and 
wily  enemy  to  deal  with,  ten  times  his  own  in  numbers, 
and  that  it  would  require  all  his  skill  to  elude  them,  or 
the  greatest  bravery  to  defeat  them,  should  it  become 
necessary  to  fight. 

"  Fortunately  he  knew  a  pass  farther  to  the  west,  that 
was  rarely  used,  and  for  this  he  pushed  with  all  his 
might.  On  reaching  the  mountain  top,  and  looking  back, 
black  objects  could  be  seen  moving  rapidly  up  the  valley, 
and  they  knew  that  the  enemy  was  in  pursuit  of  them. 


484:  THE  GREAT  SALT  LAKE  TRAIL 

All  night  Souk  toiled  along,  and,  when  the  morning  began 
to  break,  saw  the  pass  he  was  seeking  several  miles  ahead. 
Reaching  the  mountain's  edge  at  sunrise,  they  dismounted 
and  began  the  perilous  descent  into  the  gorge.  In  two 
hours  it  was  accomplished,  and  they  entered  the  sombre 
shadows  of  the  great  canon.  They  had  begun  to  feel 
safe,  when  suddenly  the  man  in  front  reined  up  his  horse 
and  pointed  to  several  pony  tracks  in  the  sand.  Souk 
dismounted  and  examined  them,  and,  on  looking  around, 
saw  where  the  animals  had  been  picketed,  apparently, 
about  two  hours  before. 

"  Could  it  be  possible  that  the  enemy  had  reached  the 
pass  before  him,  and  were  waiting  to  attack  him  higher 
up  in  the  gorge  ?  He  could  hardly  credit  it,  and  3"et  it 
must  be  so,  for  who  else  could  be  in  the  lonely  glen. 
Recollecting  that  the  caiion  to  the  right  would  carry  him 
into  the  great  pass  some  ten  miles  higher  up,  he  still 
hoped  to  get  through  before  the  enemy  reached  it,  and, 
hastily  mounting,  they  galloped  furiously  forward.  They 
had  come  in  sight  of  the  great  pass,  when,  just  as  they 
were  about  to  enter  it,  they  saw  a  man  sitting  on  a  horse 
a  few  hundred  yards  ahead  of  tliem,  and  directly  in  the 
trail.  On  observing  the  Ogallallas,  the  horseman  gave 
the  Cheyenne  war-whoop,  and,  in  a  moment,  a  dozen  other 
mounted  men  appeared  in  rear  of  the  first. 

"  Grasping  his  spear.  Souk  shouted  his  war- whoop,  and, 
ordering  his  men  to  charge,  dashed  down  upon  the  enemy. 
Plunging  his  spear  into  the  nearest  foe,  he  drew  his  battle- 
axe  and  clove  open  the  head  of  the  one  in  the  rear,  and 
before  his  comrades  could  come  up  with  him  had  unhorsed 
a  third.  A  shout  down  the  great  canon  caused  Souk  to 
hurriedly  look  that  way,  when  he  saw  about  fifty  warriors 
galloping  toward  him.  He  ^ow  knew  he  had  reached  the 
pass  ahead  of  the  main  body,  and  encountered  only  the 
scouts  of  the  Cheyennes.     Ordering  his  men  to  push  un 


n 


* 


■< 


1^ 

O 

-1- 


KIT    C'AKSON    ON    Till':    VKLLOWSTUNK  485 

Up  tlio  pass  t(»  the  i^ivat  valley  beyond,  he,  with  his  two 
eoiiipaiiioiis,  renuiiiuMl  hi-hiiid  to  coNer  their  retreat.  <  )ii 
coining  to  tlu-ir  dead  and  wmiiidt'd  warriors,  the  Chey- 
ennes  halted  and  held  a  eonference,  while  Souk  and  his 
friends  leisurely  pursuf(l  their  journey,  in  (he  gorge  in 
which  he  then  was,  Sonic  knew  ten  men  were  us  good  as 
a  hundred,  and  he  was  in  no  hurry  to  leave  the  friendly 
shelter  of  the  rocks.  Taking  up  a  position  behind  a  sharp 
butte,  he  fortified  the  phice,  and  quietly  waited  for  the 
C'heyennes.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  but  they  did  not 
appear.  The  shadows  of  evening  were  beginning  to 
creep  into  the  ravines,  and  several  of  Souk's  party  were 
anxious  to  quit  their  retreat  and  continue  their  journey, 
confident  that  the  Cheyennes  had  returned  to  their  camp ; 
but  the  wily  3'oung  Sioux  told  them  to  be  patient,  and  he 
would  inform  them  when  it  was  time  to  go.  The  evening 
deepened  into  twilight,  the  moon  rose  over  the  peaks  and 
stood  overhead,  indicating  that  it  was  midnight,  Ijut  still 
Souk  would  not  go.  His  men  had  begun  to  grumble, 
when  suddenly  a  noise  was  heard  in  the  gorge  below,  and 
presently  voices  and  the  tramp  of  horses  could  be  distin- 
guished. Souk  ordered  four  of  his  men  to  mount  and 
be  ready  to  leap  the  rude  rock  breastworks  when  he  gave 
them  notice,  and  to  cheer  and  shout  as  lustily  as  possible. 
He  then  lay  down  with  the  other  four,  and  waited  for  the 
foe.  To  his  delight  he  noticed,  as  the  Cheyennes  came 
u[),  many  of  them  were  dismounted  and  leading  their 
ponies.  They  came  within  a  few  feet  of  the  barricade 
before  they  perceived  it,  and  then  Souk  and  his  comrades 
commenced  a  rapid  discharge  of  arrows  into  their  midst. 
Three  or  four  shots  had  been  fired  before  the  Cheyennes 
knew  what  the  matter  was,  or  wliere  the  whizzing  shafts 
came  from.  Then  Souk  shouted  his  battle-cry,  and  the 
four  mounted  Sioux,  repeating  it  from  behind  the  butte, 
dashed  over  the  barricade  and  cliarged  the  enemy,  who 


486  THE    GKEAT    SALT    LAKK    TRAIL 

broke  and  fled  in  the  utmost  confusion  down  the  gorge. 
In  a  moment  Souk,  with  his  remaining  Sioux,  was  mounted 
and  after  them.  The  animals  of  the  Cheyennes  broke 
loose  from  some  of  the  dismounted  warriors  before  they 
could  mount,  and  left  them  on  foot.  Several  hid  among 
the  rocks,  but  Souk  overtook  and  killed  four.  The  pur- 
suit was  kept  up  for  nearly  five  miles,  when  Souk  turned 
back  and  hastily  continued  his  journey  to  the  Brule  camp, 
where  he  arrived  in  safety  on  the  evening  of  the  seventh 
day. 

"  He  was  kindly  received  by  the  father  of  his  prospec- 
tive bride,  and  given  a  dozen  fine  lodges  for  himself  and 
friends.  The  meeting  between  Souk  and  his  sweetheart 
was  as  tender  as  that  of  lovers  could  be,  and  now,  that 
they  were  once  together,  both  were  perfectly  happy. 
Near  the  Brule  encampment  were  some  mountain  vines 
covered  with  flowers,  and  here  Souk  and  Chaf-fa-ly-a  each 
day  spent  hour  after  hour  in  sweet  communion  with  each 
other.  The  stream  was  dotted  for  miles  Vv^ith  hundreds 
of  richly  painted  teepees  ;  thousands  of  horses  and  ponies 
were  constantly  to  be  seen  grazing  in  the  green  valley, 
and  scores  of  warriors  in  their  gay  and  various-coloured 
costumes  galloped  to  and  fro  among  the  villages.  It  was 
a  pleasant  sight  at  the  home  of  the  old  Brule,  and  one 
that  filled  their  young  hearts  with  pride  and  joy,  for  all 
these  herds  and  people  were  one  day  to  be  theirs. 

"  After  lingering  a  month  in  the  camp,  the  old  Brfile 
announced  to  Souk  he  was  about  to  send  the  chiefs  to 
receive  the  presents  for  Chaf-fa-ly-a's  hand,  and  if  the 
young  man  and  his  friends  wished  to  return  home  it 
would  be  a  favourable  opportunity  for  them  to  do  so. 
Souk  took  the  hint  and  made  preparations  accordingly. 

"  By  the  advice  of  the  old  chief,  the  party  took  another 
route,  and,  although  it  was  two  days  longer,  it  brought 
them  in  safety  to  the  Ogallalla  encampment. 


KIT    CAUSOX    ON    TIIK    VKM.O  \VST(  )XK  487 

"At  Souk's  re(|uest,  his  father  iuiiiii'diately  assembled 
the  council,  anel  tiic  negotiations  for  Chaf-fa-ly-a's  hand 
began.  An  aged  Brule  made  tlie  first  speech,  expatiating 
on  the  power  of  his  chief,  the  richness  of  his  tribe,  and 
the  beauty  of  Chaf-fa-ly-a.  This  was  foHowed  bv  an 
Ogallalla,  who  dwelt  at  length  upon  the  power  of  his 
chief,  his  rank,  and  age,  and  upon  tiie  nobleness,  bravery, 
and  skill  of  Souk.  Several  other  speeches  were  made  on 
each  side,  in  which  the  young  man  and  woman  were  alter- 
nately praised,  and  the  glory  of  their  fathers  extolled  to 
the  skies.  The  council  then  adjourned  until  the  follow- 
ing day,  the  important  point  of  the  conference  —  the  price 
of  the  lady's  hand  —  not  having  been  touched  upon  at  all. 

"  Next  day  the  conference  C(jntinued,  and  toward  even- 
ing the  Brule  chiefs,  after  having  spoken  a  great  deal, 
abruptly  demanded  fifty  horses  and  two  hundred  ponies 
as  the  price  for  Chaf-fa-ly-a. 

"  The  friends  of  Souk  were  a  good  deal  surprised  at  the 
extravagant  demand  of  the  Brules,  it  being  about  three 
times  more  than  they  expected  to  give.  Souk's  father 
could  not  conceal  his  indignation,  and,  saying  he  would 
give  but  twenty-five  horses  and  one  hundred  ponies, 
adjourned  the  council,  directing  the  Brule  chiefs  to 
return  home  and  inform  their  venerable  head  of  his 
decision. 

"  Souk  returned  to  his  lodge  with  a  heavy  heart,  for  he 
clearly  foresaw  trouble,  and  that  his  love,  like  all  other 
'true  loves,'  was  not  to  run  smoothly.  Summoning  his 
friends,  he  desired  them  to  make  as  many  i)resents  as 
possible  to  the  Brule  chiefs,  and  before  they  started  he 
added  five  horses  of  his  own,  hoping  by  this  liberalit}'"  to 
secure  their  good-will.  He  also  caused  them  to  be 
secretly  informed,  that  if  they  could  induce  the  liriile 
chief  to  accept  his  father's  offer,  he  would,  on  the  day  of 
his  marriage,  present  to  each  of  them  a  fine  horse. 


488  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

"  Before  leaving  the  Brule  camp,  Souk  and  Cliaf-fa-ly-a 
had  vowed  a  true  lover's  vow,  that,  come  what  would  of 
the  council,  they  Avould  be  faithful  to  each  other,  and  die 
rather  than  break  their  plighted  troth.  Souk  had  also 
promised  his  betrothed  he  would  return  in  the  fall  and 
make  her  his  wife,  with  or  without  the  consent  of  the  tribes. 

"  As  the  summer  months  wore  away,  and  no  word  Avas 
received  from  the  Brule  camp,  Souk  became  each  day 
more  restless,  and  finally,  calling  together  a  few  friends, 
started  once  more  for  the  Brule's  home. 

"  He  was  received  most  cordially  by  the  old  chief,  and, 
as  before,  given  most  hospitable  entertainment.  Often, 
however,  he  thought  he  detected  sadness  on  the  old  man's 
face,  and  on  questioning  Chaf-fa-ly-a  as  to  the  cause  of 
her  father's  trouble,  the  j^oor  girl  burst  into  tears  and 
confessed  she  was  about  to  be  sacrificed  for  her  father's 
good.  She  said  that  the  Cheyenne  chief,  with  whom  her 
father  had  long  been  at  war,  had  asked  her  hand,  and 
promised,  on  receiving  her  as  one  of  his  wives,  to  cease 
from  warring  with  the  Sioux.  Her  father,  actuated  by  a 
desire  to  do  his  people  and  friends  good,  had,  after  the 
refusal  of  Souk's  father  to  furnish  the  required  presents, 
given  the  Cheyenne  a  promise,  and  they  were  to  be  mar- 
ried the  following  year,  when  the  grass  grew  green  on 
the  earth.  The  old  chief  preferred  greatly  to  have  Souk 
for  a  son-in-law,  but  he  wished  also  to  serve  his  people  and 
old  friends.  The  treaty  was  to  be  binding  on  the  Chey- 
ennes,  for  the  Ogallallas  hs  well  as  the  Brules,  and  there- 
fore Souk  and  his  father  would  be  greatly  benefited  by 
her  marriage  to  the  Cheyennes. 

"This  astounding  intelligence  came  near  upsetting 
Souk's  better  judgment,  and  for  a  while  he  was  nearly 
demented.  Taking  the  fond  girl  in  his  arms,  he  swore, 
rather  than  see  her  the  wife  of  the  hated  Cheyenne, 
he  would  spill   both  his  own    and   her   blood,  and   they 


KIT   CAItSON    ON    THK    V  lOLI.oWS  T<  )NK  489 

WDukl  go  to  tlie  liai)py  luintiiig-grouiuls  tof]fetlier.  Chaf- 
fa-ly-a  begg-eil  him  to  be  calm,  and  she  wouhl  make  her 
escape  with  him  ami  Hy  to  liis  pc()j)le.  It  was  agreed 
that  early  in  the  s[)ring,  before  the  encampment  moved  to 
its  summer  pastures,  Souk,  with  a  chosen  band,  should 
come  over  the  mountains,  and  in  the  confusion,  wdien  the 
tribe  was  on  its  march,  they  would  seize  a  favourable  op- 
portunity to  escape  into  the  mountains,  from  Avhich  they 
could  make  their  way  to  Souk's  father  and  implore  his 
protection. 

'*  Cautioning  him,  even  by  a  look,  not  to  betray  any 
knowledge  of  her  engagement  to  the  Cheyenne,  the  lovers 
parted,  and  next  day  Souk  set  out  for  his  home,  appar- 
ently utterly  inditferent  as  to  the  result  of  the  negotia- 
tions for  his  marriage. 

"  Slowly  the  winter  months  dragged  along,  and  to  the 
impatient  Souk  they  seemed  interminable  ;  but  at  length 
the  water  began  to  come  down  from  the  mountains,  and 
the  ice  grew  soft  on  the  streams.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
these  indications  of  returning  spring,  Souk  called  his 
bravest  friends  together  and  set  out  from  the  camp.  He 
did  not  tell  any  one  where  he  was  going,  and  it  was  only 
when  they  began  to  ascend  the  mountains  that  they  sus- 
pected they  were  on  the  way  to  the  Brule  camp.  In  eight 
days  they  descended  the  plain  into  the  old  chief's  home. 

''  He  was  greatly  astonished  to  see  Souk,  for  he  believed 
it  impossible  at  that  season  of  the  year  for  any  one  to 
cross  the  mountain.  However,  he  gave  Souk  and  his 
friends  a  hearty  welcome,  and  again  provided  them  with 
everything  they  needed. 

"  Next  day  the  chief  rode  down  the  river  to  prepare  the 
camps  for  moving,  and  Souk  and  Chaf-fa-ly-a,  being  left 
alone  in  the  camp,  had  all  the  opportunity  they  desired 
for  laying  their  plans.  Chaf-fa-ly-a  said  the  camp  would 
move  in  four  days,  and  that  in  the  meantime  they  must 


490  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

make  every  preparation  for  their  flight.  There  was  one 
horse  in  the  herd,  she  said,  that  was  tlie  swiftest  in  the 
tribe,  and  he  must  be  either  killed  or  she  would  ride  him. 
Her  father  had  always  objected  to  her  mounting  this 
animal  because  he  was  so  vicious  ;  but,  now  that  he  was 
away,  it  would  be  a  good  time  for  her  to  ride  the  animal, 
and  show  to  her  father  that  she  was  a  better  horsewoman 
than  he  thought.  Once  upon  him,  she  could  pretend  a 
fondness  for  the  beast,  and  thus  secure  him  to  ride  on  the 
trip.  Souk  agreed  to  all  she  said,  and  the  wild  horse  was 
at  once  sent  for.  He  reared  and  plunged  fearfull}'-,  but  at 
length  he  was  conquered,  and  Chaf-fa-ly-a  mounted  his 
back.  Souk  rode  by  her  side,  and  they  galloped  down 
the  river  to  meet  the  old  chief,  Avho  they  knew  must  by 
that  time  be  returning  homeward,  as  it  was  nearly  even- 
ing. They  soon  met  him,  and  when  he  saw  his  daugliter 
on  the  wild  horse,  he  was  greatly  surprised,  but  not  dis- 
pleased, for  all  Indians  are  proud  of  their  horsemanship. 
Cautioning  her  to  be  very  careful  and  hold  him  fast.  Souk, 
the  old  chief,  and  Chaf-fa-ly-a  rode  back  to  the  village 
together. 

"  Next  day  Chaf-fa-ly-a  again  rode  the  wild  horse,  and 
in  the  evening  slyly  extracted  a  promise  from  her  father 
that  she  should  be  f)ermitted  to  ride  him  when  the  village 
changed  its  camping-ground. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  the  herds  were 
gathered,  the  teepees  pulled  down,  and  the  village  com- 
menced its  march  to  the  summer  pastures.  The  men  had 
got  the  herds  fairly  on  the  way,  and  the  sun  was  just 
tipping  the  icy  peaks  of  the  mountains,  when  Souk  and 
Chaf-fa-ly-a  mounted  their  steeds  and  galloped  swiftly 
forward.  Chaf-fa-ly-a  rode  the  wild  horse,  and  Souk  was 
mounted  on  a  splendid  stallion.  All  of  Souk's  warriors 
had  been  sent  the  day  before  to  Pole  Creek,  a  day  in 
advance,  under  the  pretence  of  hunting. 


KIT   CARSON    OS   THK    YKLLOWSTONE  491 

'•Riding  oil  until  they  reacluHl  tiie  luail  of  the  herd, 
they  were  about  to  pass,  when  the  lierders  informed  the 
young  couple  that  it  was  the  chief's  orders  no  one  should 
go  ahead  of  the  herd  and  they  could  proceed  no  farther. 
Giving  the  men  a  pleasant  reply,  C'haf-fa-ly-a  said  she 
was  only  trying  the  mettle  of  her  horse,  and  at  once 
turned  back.  They  had  gone  but  a  little  distance  when 
they  enteretl  tlie  sand-hills,  and,  making  a  wide  circuit, 
came  out  far  in  advance  of  the  herd.  They  were  now 
on  the  banks  of  a  little  lake,  and,  giving  their  horses  full 
rein,  sped  by  its  clear  waters. 

"  Long  before  niglit  the  young  people  reached  Pole 
Creek  and  found  Souk's  warriors.  He  hastily  explained 
to  them  what  had  happened,  and,  charging  them  to  re- 
main, and  if  possible  draw  the  enemy  from  the  trail.  Souk 
and  his  sweetheart  again  set  forward. 

"  One  of  the  warriors  who  remained  behind  was  to 
personate  a  woman,  and,  if  possible,  make  the  old  chief's 
people  think  he  was  Chaf-fa-ly-a.  Souk  said  he  knew  a 
pass  through  the  Black  Hills  that  would  bring  them  to 
his  father's  country  two  days  sooner  than  by  any  other 
route,  and,  although  the  way  was  somewhat  dangerous, 
they  must  take  all  risks  and  depend  on  the  swiftness  of 
their  horses  for  their  escape, 

"All  night  tliey  rode  on,  and  at  sunrise  halted  on  the 
top  of  a  high  hill  to  breakfast  on  cold  roast  antelope 
and  wild  artichokes.  Chaf-fa-ly-a's  horse  bore  her  liglit 
weight  without  seeming  fatigued,  but  Souk  was  lieavy 
and  his  steed  began  to  show  signs  of  distress. 

"Far  in  the  distance  they  could  see  the  blue  line  of  the 
gap  that  still  lay  between  them  and  safety;  and,  hurriedly 
refreshing  themselves  from  a  spring  of  pure  water,  they 
again  set  out,  hoping  to  reach  it  before  night. 

"  It  was  near  sundown  when  they  ])egan  to  ascend  the 
high   ridge    tha';    led    into    the    gap,  and    they   had   just 


492  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

reached  the  crest  when  Chaf-fa-ly-a,  scanning  the  valley 
below  them,  descried  horsemen  followins:  on  their  trail. 
They  had  hoped  they  were  not  yet  discovered,  and  under 
cover  of  niglit  might  still  reach  the  pass  in  safety, 
but  the  horsemen  soon  divided,  and  one  half  went  up  the 
valley,  while  the  others  continued  to  follow  the  trail. 
Souk  knew  in  a  moment  that  those  who  went  up  the  val- 
ley were  going  to  head  them  off,  and,  although  they  liad 
nearly  double  the  distance  to  ride,  their  road  was  com- 
paratively smooth,  while  Souk's  lay  along  precipices  and 
over  crags.  Calling  to  Chaf-fa-ly-a  that  they  mast  now 
ride  for  their  lives,  Souk  whipped  up  the  horses,  and  tliey 
began  to  climb  rapidly  the  rugged  pathway. 

"All  night  they  pushed  along,  and  at  daylight  found 
themselves  quite  near  the  pass.  Souk  scanned  the  valley 
through  the  hazy  light,  but  could  detect  no  traces  of  the 
Brule  people.  He  began  to  hope  that  they  had  not  j'ct 
arrived,  and  spoke  encouragingly  to  Chaf-fa-ly-a,  who, 
pale  with  fatigue,  now  sat  upon  her  horse  like  a  statue. 
Descending  into  the  deep  caiion,  Souk  directed  Chaf-fa- 
ly-a  to  ride  rapidly  for  the  pass,  while  he  followed  close 
in  the  rear,  ready  to  attack  the  enemy  that  might  appear. 
They  had  gone  about  half  a  mile,  and  were  just  entering 
the  jaws  of  the  great  gorge,  when  a  cry  of  distress  rose 
from  the  lips  of  the  girl,  and,  looking  to  his  right.  Souk 
saw  about  twenty  Briiles  rapidly  closing  on  the  pass. 
The  noble  girl  whipped  up  her  horse,  and,  darting  for- 
ward like  an  arrow,  shot  through  the  pass  full  fifty  yards 
ahead  of  the  foremost  Brule  warrior. 

"  Souk  grasped  his  battle-axe,  and,  reaching  the  pass  just 
as  the  first  Brule  came  up,  struck  his  horse  on  the  head, 
dropping  him  on  the  ground  and  sending  the  rider  rolling 
over  the  rocks.  The  second  warrior,  seeing  the  fate  of 
his  companion,  swerved  his  steed  to  one  side  and  strove  to 
pass   Souk,  but   he  quickly  drew  his  bow  and  drove  an 


KIT    CARSON    ON    TIIK    V  i:i,I.o\VSToN  H  40^] 

arrow  llirouj^li  ilic  Imi-sc  h'liind  the  rDrc-slimiMci-,  oaus- 
inc^  him  to  drop  to  Ids  kuecs  and  lliii^-  his  ridur  on  the 
y^ronnd. 

"  Tho  h)vors  were  now  ahead  of  all  of  tiu'ir  pursuers, 
and.  urging  iheir  gaUant  steeds  to  their  utmost,  they  soon 
had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  the  shouts  of  the  Brides 
dying  in  the  distance  beliind  them.  In  an  hour  they 
lialted,  refreshed  themselves,  and  rested  their  horses.  In 
the  distance  they  could  see  the  Brules  halting  by  a  stream, 
and  apparently  resting  also.  The  lovers  were  the  first  to 
move  i»n,  and,  when  once  in  the  saddle  tliey  lost  no  time. 

"It  was  past  noon  when  Souk  saw  some  objects  several 
miles  off  to  the  left,  and  soon  made  them  out  to  be  part 
of  the  Brules,  who  were  making  for  the  river,  to  cut  him 
off  from  the  ford.  The  race  was  a  long  one,  but  the 
lovers  won  it,  and  crossed  in  safety. 

"  On  the  third  day  they  entered  the  great  mountains 
and  drew  near  the  borders  of  the  country  of  Souk's  father. 
At  sunset  they  crossed  a  little  creek,  Avhich  Souk  pointed 
out  to  Chaf-fa-ly-a  as  the  boundary  of  the  Ogallalla  lands. 
Riding  forward  a  dozen  miles,  they  halted  in  a  wild,  moun- 
tainous region,  and,  for  the  first  time  since  starting,  pre- 
pared to  take  some  rest.  Souk  comforted  Chaf-fa-ly-a 
with  the  assurance  that  another  day  would  take  them  to 
his  home,  and  that  they  were  now  well  out  of  danger. 

"  A  sheltered  spot  was  selected  for  their  camp,  near  a 
stream,  and  wliile  Souk  gathered  some  sticks  to  make  a 
small  fire,  his  bride  walked  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
He  saw  her  turn  up  the  stream,  and  in  a  moment  more 
she  was  lost  from  view.  The  fire  was  soon  lighted,  and 
Souk  busy  preparing  the  evening  meal,  when  suddenly 
he  heard  a  fearful  shriek  at  no  great  distance. 

"  Seizing  his  battle-axe,  he  rushed  toward  the  spot  from 
whence  the  sound  proceeded,  but  could  see  no  one.  Call- 
ing the  name  of  his  bride,  he  dashed  forward  through  the 


494  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

thicket,  but  could  see  or  hear  nothing  of  her.  He  called 
loudly  again,  but  received  no  response.  The  silence  was 
asronizins:,  and  he  listened  for  several  moments,  when  he 
heard  the  crackling  of  some  branches  in  the  distance.  He 
ruslied  frantically  to  the  spot,  but  his  career  was  quickly 
stopped  by  an  ol)ject  on  the  ground.  It  was  the  torn  and 
now  bloody  mantle  of  his  beloved.  The  mystery  was  in 
part  explained  —  she  had  retired  to  this  secluded  spot  to 
offer  up  a  prayer  to  the  Great  Spirit  for  their  safe  deliver- 
ance, and,  as  was  her  custom,  had  taken  off  her  mantle 
and  spread  it  on  the  earth.  On  this  she  had  knelt,  wlien 
a  grizzly  bear,  that  terrible  beast  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, had  rushed  upon  her  and  killed  her  before  she  could 
utter  a  second  cry.  His  huge  paws  were  deeply  imprinted 
on  the  sand,  and  the  trail  along  which  he  had  dragged  his 
victim  was  distinctly  visible.  Souk,  taking  the  rent  gar- 
ment, plunged  into  the  brushwood. 

"  He  crossed  the  thicket  in  several  directions,  but  in 
vain  ;  it  was  dark,  and  he  could  not  follow  the  trail.  He 
returned  to  the  camp  in  a  frame  of  mind  bordering  on 
despair.  Raising  his  hand  to  heaven,  he  swore  by  the 
great  Wa-con  Ton-ka  to  track  the  beast  to  his  den  and 
slay  him,  or  perish  in  the  conflict.  It  seemed  to  him  an 
age  before  the  light  appeared,  but  at  length  the  gray 
streamers  began  to  streak  the  east,  and  Souk  was  on  the 
trail.  Again  and  again  he  lost  it,  but  the  growing  light 
enabled  him  to  find  it,  and  he  pushed  on.  He  found  the 
lair  half  a  mile  out,  where  the  beast  had  eaten  a  part  of 
his  beloved,  and,  as  he  looked  at  the  blood-stains  on  the 
"■round,  his  brain  seemed  about  to  burst  from  his  skull. 
Pieces  of  garments  were  left  on  some  of  the  bushes  where 
the  bear  had  dragged  the  body  along.  Far  up  into  the 
mountains  Souk  followed  the  trail,  but  at  length  lost  it 
among  the  rocks.  All  day  he  hunted  for  it  in  vain,  and 
when  night  came  he  returned  to  his  camp.     He  expected 


KIT    CAUSON'    ON    THE    YELLOWSTONE  495 

the  enemy  had  como  up  during  his  absence,  hut  he  found 
the  liorses  where  he  had  left  them,  and  the  cam[)  midis- 
turbed.  How  he  wished  the  Brides  wonhl  come  and  kill 
him.  He  cursed  himself,  and  wished  to  die,  but  could 
not.  Then  he  slept,  how  long  he  knew  not,  but  the  sun 
was  far  up  in  the  heavens  and  shining  brightly  when  he 
awoke. 

"Mounting  one  of  the  horses,  and  leading  the  other,  he 
started  at  full  speed.  He  wished  to  leave  as  quickly  as 
possible,  and  forever,  the  cursed  spot  that  had  witnessed 
the  destruction  of  all  his  earthly  hapi)iness.  It  afforded 
him  some  relief  to  ride  fast,  and  he  dashed  onward,  he 
neither  knew  nor  cared  where.  His  well-trained  steed 
took  the  road  for  him,  and  as  the  evening  shadows  were 
beginning  to  creep  over  the  valley,  he  saw  far  ahead  the 
teepees  of  his  father's  village.  He  lashed  his  horse  and 
rode  like  a  madman  into  the  town.  His  faithful  warriors 
had  returned,  but  they  hardly  knew  their  beloved  young 
chief,  so  changed  was  he.  At  the  door  of  his  father's 
lodge  his  brave  horse  fell  dead,  and  Soidc  rolled  over  on 
the  ground  insensible. 

"  He  was  carefully  lifted  up  and  laid  on  his  own  bed, 
where  for  many  days  he  remained  in  a  raging  fever,  at 
times  delirious,  and  calling  wildly  on  the  name  of  Chaf- 
fa-ly-a.  Little  by  little  he  recovered,  and  at  length  went 
about  the  village  again,  Init  he  hardly  ever  spoke  to  any 
one  ;  and  for  years  the  Briiles  and  Ogallallas  never  visited 
each  other." 

In  the  early  days  the  celebrated  Kit  Carson  and  Lucien 
B.  Maxwell  trapped  on  every  tributary  of  the  Platte  and 
Yellowstone,  long  before  they  joined  General  Fremont's 
first  exploring  expedition  as  principal  scouts  and  guides 
in  company  with  Jim  Bridger,  Jim  Baker,  and  others. 

In  the  early  '40's,  Kit  Carson  as  the  leader,  with  a  hun- 
dred subordinates,  organized  a  party  of  trappers  to  operate 


496  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   Til  AIL 

upon  tlie  Yellowstone  and  its  many  tributaries.  The 
Blackfeet,  upon  whose  ground  the  men  were  to  encroach, 
were  bitter  enemies  of  the  whites,  and  it  was  well  known 
that  serious  difficulties  with  those  savages  could  not  be 
avoided,  so  Carson  prepared  his  plans  for  considerable 
fio'hting:.  He  assigned  one  half  his  followers  to  the  work 
of  trapping  exclusively,  while  the  remainder  were  to 
attend  to  the  camp  duties  and  vigilantly  guard  it. 

As  Carson,  on  many  previous  occasions,  had  had  tussles 
Avith  the  hostile  Blackfeet,  he  was  not  at  all  disinclined  to 
meet  them  again  on  their  own  ground ;  and  as  he  felt 
doubly  strong  with  such  a  large  party  of  old  mountaineers, 
he  rather  hoped  that  the  savages  would  attack  him,  as  he 
Avished  to  settle  some  ancient  scores  AAdth  them. 

Carson  was,  however,  disappointed  that  season,  and  he 
could  not  at  first  understand  why  the  Blackfeet  had  left 
him  so  severely  alone ;  but  he  found  out,  later,  that  the 
smallpox  had  decimated  them,  and  they  Avere  only  too 
glad  to  retire  to  their  mountain  fastnesses,  completely 
humbled,  and  hide  in  terror  hoping  to  escape  further 
attacks  of  the  dreaded  disease. 

Carson  and  his  party  spent  the  Avinter  in  that  region 
with  the  friendly  Crows,  passing  a  delightful  season,  Avith 
an  abundance  of  food,  living  in  the  comfortable  buffalo- 
skin  lodges  of  the  tribe,  and  joining  in  their  many  amuse- 
ments. 

While  there  Avas  no  lack  of  provisions  for  the  party  in 
the  Adllage  of  the  kind-hearted  CroAvs,  their  horses  suffered 
greatly.  The  earth  Avas  covered  Avith  deep  snow,  and 
Carson  and  his  trappers  were  kept  busy  every  day  gather- 
ins:  AvilloAV  tAvifjs  and  cottonwood  bark  to  sustain  the 
life  of  the  animals.  Great  herds  of  buffalo,  driven  to 
the  locality  by  the  severity  of  the  weather,  and  depending, 
too,  upon  the  timber  for  their  sustenance,  made  it  even 
harder  work  to  supply  the  horses. 


KIT    CAltSUN    (.»N    Tin-:    YELLOWSTONE  497 

On  the  (i[)eniiig  of  sprint]^,  Carson  niul  liis  party  com- 
meiiceil  to  trap  ajj'ain.  and  rL'turniuLT  t<>  the  finitriil  conn- 
try  of  tilt'  liostile  lilackfeet,  they  learned  that  the  tribe 
had  completely  recovered  from  the  visitation  of  tlie  small- 
pox of  the  previous  year.  Some  bands  were  camped  near 
the  trai)ping-ground,  and  were  in  excellent  condition, 
spoiling  for  a  light  with  the  whites. 

Upon  discovering  the  state  of  affairs,  Carson  and  live  of 
his  most  iletermined  men  set  out  on  a  reconnoitring 
expedition.  They  found  the  site  of  the  Blackfeet  village, 
and,  hurrying  back  to  camp,  a  party  of  forty-three  was 
selected,  with  Carson  as  leader.  The  remainder  were  to 
follow  on  with  their  baggage,  and  if  it  should  become 
necessary  when  they  came  up  to  the  savages  to  assist 
them  ;  Carson  and  his  brave  followers  marched  ahead, 
eager  for  a  fight. 

It  did  not  require  a  very  long  time  to  overtake  the 
savages,  who  had  commenced  to  move  their  village ;  and 
making  a  sudden  charge  among  them,  Carson  and  his  men 
killed  ten  of  the  savages  at  the  first  fire.  The  Blackfeet 
immediately  rallied  and  began  to  retreat  in  good  order. 
The  whites  were  in  excellent  spirits  over  the  result  of  the 
first  dash  and  followed  it  up  for  more  than  three  hours  ; 
then,  their  ammunition  running  low,  their  firing  became 
less  rapid,  and  they  had  to  exercise  the  greatest  caution. 
At  this  juncture  the  savages  suspected  the  reason  that 
the  white  men  had  moderated  their  attack,  and,  with  most 
demoniacal  yells,  they  rallied,  and  charged  with  such 
force  that  Carson  and  his  men  were  obliged  to  retreat. 

Now,  in  the  charge  of  the  Indians,  the  trappers  could 
use  their  pistols  with  great  effect,  and  the  savages  were 
again  driven  back.  Again  they  rallied,  however,  and  in 
such  increased  numbers  that  they  forced  Carson  and  his 
men  once  more  to  retreat. 

During  the  last  rally  of  the  Indians,  the  horse  of  one 
2k 


498  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

of  the  trappers  was  killed,  and  fell  with  its  whole  weight 
on  its  rider.  Six  warriors  immediately  rushed  forward  to 
scalp  the  unfortunate  man.  Seeing  his  helpless  condition, 
Carson  rushed  to  his  assistance,  jumped  from  his  horse, 
placed  himself  in  front  of  his  fallen  companion,  and  shout- 
ing at  the  same  instant  for  his  men  to  rally  around  him, 
shot  the  foremost  warrior  dead  with  his  unerring  rifle. 

Several  of  the  trappers  quickly  responded  to  Carson's 
call,  and  the  remaining  five  savages  were  compelled  to 
dash  off,  without  the  coveted  scalp  of  the  fallen  white 
man,  but  only  two  of  them  ever  regained  their  places  in 
the  ranks  of  their  brother  braves,  for  three  well-directed 
shots  dropped  them  dead  in  their  tracks. 

Carson's  horse  had  run  away,  so,  as  his  comrade  was 
now  saved,  he  mounted  behind  one  of  the  men  who  had 
come  when  he  called  for  help,  and  rode  back  to  the  rest 
of  his  command.  Then,  being  thoroughly  exhausted, 
both  parties  ceased  firing  by  mutual  consent,  each  wait- 
ins:  for  the  other  to  renew  hostilities. 

While  indulging  in  this  armistice,  the  other  trappers 
came  up  Avith  the  camp  equipage.  The  savages  showed 
no  fear  at  this  addition  to  the  force  of  the  enemy,  but, 
calmly  covering  themselves  among  the  detached  rocks 
a  little  distance  from  the  battle-ground,  quietly  awaited 
the  expected  onslaught. 

With  the  fresh  supply  his  companions  had  brought, 
Carson  cautiously  advanced  on  foot  with  reenforcements 
to  dislodge  the  savages  from  their  cover.  The  battle 
was  renewed  with  increased  vigour,  but  the  whites  event- 
ually scattered  the  savages  in  all  directions. 

It  was  a  complete  victory  for  the  trappers,  as  they  had 
killed  a  great  many  of  the  Blackfeet  warriors,  and  wounded 
a  larger  number,  while  their  own  loss  aggregated  but 
three  men  killed  and  only  a  few  severely  wounded. 

Now  that  the  battle  was  ended,  the  trappers  camped 


KIT    C'AUSUN    UN    THE    V  KLLOWSTONE  4l»U 

Oil  the  sfrouiid  wlinc  ilic  l)loi)(lv  enijiiLreineiit  occurred, 
buried  the  tlead,  temled  the  wonnth'd,  and,  fn im  that 
time  on,  pursued  their  vocation  throughout  the  whole 
Bhickfeet  country  without  fear  of  molestation,  so  salu- 
tary liad  l)t'('ii  the  chastisement  of  the  impudent  savages. 
The  latter  took  good  care,  ever  afterward,  to  kec})  out 
of  the  way  of  the  intrepid  Carson,  having  had  enough 
of  liim  to  last  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

During  the  battle  with  Carson's  trappers,  the  Black- 
feet  had  sent  their  women  and  children  on  in  advance  ; 
and,  when  the  engagement  had  ended,  and  the  discom- 
tited  warriors,  so  mucli  reduced  in  number,  returned 
without  one  scalp,  the  big  skin  lodge,  which  had  been 
erected  for  the  prospective  war-dance,  was  occupied  by 
the  wounded  savages,  and  the  hatred  for  the  whites 
among  the  tribe  was  intensified  to  the  last  degree  of 
bitterness. 

After  the  season's  ending,  which  had  been  very  suc- 
cessful, Carson  engaged  himself  as  hunter,  at  the  fort 
of  the  American  Fur  Company  on  the  Soutli  Platte  ; 
and  as  game  of  all  kinds  —  deer,  elk,  and  antelope  — 
was  abundant,  the  duty  was  a  delightful  one. 

The  following  spring,  Carson,  in  conjunction  Avith 
Bridger,  Baker,  and  other  famous  plainsmen,  trapped  on 
all  the  affluents  of  the  Platte,  and  camped  for  the  follow- 
ing winter  in  the  Blackfeet  country,  without  seeing  any 
of  his  enemies  until  spring  had  again  made  its  rounds. 
He  and  his  men  then  discovered  that  they  were  near  one 
of  the  Blackfeet's  greatest  strongholds. 

rpou  this  forty  men,  with  Carson  as  the  leader,  were 
chosen  to  give  them  battle.  They  found  the  Indians,  to 
the  numl)er  of  several  hundred,  and  charged  upon  them. 
They  met  with  a  brave  resistance,  and  tlie  battle  con- 
tinued until  darkness  put  an  end  to  the  fight,  when  both 
whites  and  savages  retired.     At  the  first  sign  of  dawn 


500  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TUAIL 

Carson  and  his  party  prepared  for  a  renewal  of  the  con- 
flict, but  not  an  Indian  was  to  be  seen.  They  had  fled, 
taking  aAvay  with  them  their  dead  and  wounded. 

Carson  and  his  followers  returned  to  their  camp  and 
held  a  council  of  war,  at  which  it  was  decided  tliat  as  the 
band  they  had  whipped  would  report  the  affair  to  the 
chiefs  of  the  several  villages,  the  terrible  loss  they  had 
sustained  would  inspire  all  the  warriors  to  make  a  uijited 
effort  to  wipe  out  the  trappers.  The  savages  knew  where 
their  camp  was  established,  so  it  would  be  Avise  to  prepare 
for  another  grand  battle  on  the  same  ground,  by  looking 
to  their  defences.  To  that  end  sentinels  were  posted  on 
a  lofty  hill  near  by,  breastworks  were  thrown  up  under 
Carson's  supervision,  and  the  utmost  precaution  taken  to 
guard  against  a  surprise. 

One  morning  the  sentinel  on  the  top  of  the  mountain 
announced  by  signals  that  the  Indians  were  on  the  move  ; 
but  the  little  fortification  was  already  completed,  and 
the  anxious  trappers  coolly  awaited  the  approach  of  the 
savages. 

Slowly  the  redskins  in  full  war-paint  gathered  around 
the  sequestered  camp,  and  more  than  a  thousand  warriors 
had  congregated  within  half  a  mile  of  the  trappers'  breast- 
work in  three  days- 
Dressed  in  their  fancy  bonnets,  and  hideously  bedaubed 
with  yellow  and  vermilion  streaks  across  their  foreheads 
and  on  each  cheek,  armed  with  bows,  tomahawks,  and 
long  lances,  they  presented  a  formidable-looking  front  to 
the  small  number  of  whites.  The  trappers  kept  cool, 
however  ;  every  man  clutched  his  rifle,  determined  to  sell 
his  life  only  at  fearful  cost  to  the  confident  savages. 

They  commenced  one  of  their  horrible  war-dances  right 
in  sight  and  hearing  of  the  trappers,  and  at  dawn  the  fol- 
lowing day  they  advanced  toward  the  little  fortification, 
carefully  prepared  for  a  concerted  attack. 


KIT   CAUSON    ON    THK    YELLOWSTONE  501 

Carson  cautioiied  his  nu'ii  to  reserve  their  lire  until  the 
Indians  were  near  enough  to  make  sure  that  every  shot 
woukl  count  ;  but  the  savages,  seeing  liow  etl'eetively  tiie 
trappers  had  intrenched  themselves,  retired  after  firing  a 
few  harndess  shots,  and  went  into  camp  a  mile  distant. 
Finally  they  separated  into  two  bands,  leaving  the  whites 
a  breathing-spell.  The  latter  were  well  aware  an  en- 
counter must  necessaril}^  be  of  a  most  desperate  character. 

The  Indians  had  evidently  recognized  Carson,  who  had 
so  frequently  severely  punished  them,  and  they  made  no 
further  attempt  to  molest  the  trappers,  much  to  the  relief 
of  the  beleaguered  men. 

Jim  Cockrell,^  as  he  was  known  in  the  mountains,  was 
one  of  the  earliest  of  the  old  trappers.  He  left  his  home 
in  ^Missouri  in  tlie  spring  of  1822,  and  started  for  the  heart 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  with  a  single  packhorse  to  carry 
his  camp  equipage,  and  a  single  riding-horse.  He  trapped 
by  himself  for  more  than  two  years.  In  a  short  time  that 
terrible  loneliness  Avhich  comes  to  all  men,  for  man  is 
a  gregarious  animal,  was  experienced  in  all  its  horrors 
by  this  isolated  trapper.  Like  all  men  of  his  class  at 
that  time,  he  was  exceedingly  superstitious.  He  wanted 
somebody  to  talk  to,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  possibility 
of  finding  one  of  his  own  kind,  his  greatest  desire  was  for 
a  dog,  a  true  friend  under  all  circumstances.  He  says  that 
he  prayed  long  and  earnestly  for  the  fulfilment  of  his 
wish.  To  his  surprise  on  awaking  one  morning  from  the 
night's  sleep  he  saw  a  dog  lying  on  his  robes  alongside 
of  him.  Remote  from  all  civilization  and  far  from  any 
Indian  camp,  he  never,  to  the  day  of  his  death,  had  the 
sliglitest  idea  how  the  dog  came  to  him  ;  but  no  one  could, 
ever  disabuse  his  mind  of  his  belief  that  Providence  had 
answered  his  appeal. 

The  youthful  trapper  avoided  the  Indians  as  much  as 
1  Uncle  of  Senator  Cockrell  of  Missouri. 


502  THE    GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TRAIL 

possible,  for,  tenderfoot  as  he  was  at  first,  he  knew  well 
that  they  would  harass  him  in  every  jiossible  way,  in  order 
to  drive  him  from  a  region  which  was  their  elysium.  He 
found  it  an  easy  matter,  after  he  became  acquainted  with 
their  habits,  to  keej)  out  of  their  sight.  In  a  short  time, 
also,  he  was  under  a  sort  of  protection  of  Peg  Leg  Smith, 
who  lived  with  his  Indian  wife  near  Soda  Springs,  now 
in  Idaho. 

James  Cockrell  was  over  six  feet  high,  very  hosjDitable, 
generous  and  kind  to  friends,  but  decidedly  outspoken  to 
his  enemies.  After  having  accumulated  some  money 
by  trapping,  he  returned  to  Missouri,  lived  upon  a  fine 
farm,  and  died  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

Peg  Leg  Smith  was  a  famous  trapper,  and  after  marry- 
ing  a  squaw  of  the  Shoshone  tribe,  who  proved  to  be  a 
very  efficient  partner  in  preparing  the  pelts  of  the  animals 
he  had  caught,  he  made  a  great  deal  of  money. 

He  was  very  fond  of  whiskey  and  generally  full  of  it, 
particularly  while  remaining  in  the  settlements,  and 
would  have  his  fun  if  he  had  to  make  it  for  himself. 
In  the  early  '30's,  Peg  Leg  Smith  came  down  from  his 
mountain  home,  sold  his  season's  trapping,  then  put  up  at 
the  Nolan  House  at  Independence,  Missouri,  for  a  general 
good  time.  In  a  very  few  hours  he  was  drunk,  and  re- 
mained in  that  condition  for  some  time.  After  he  had 
been  at  the  hotel  a  week,  the  clerk  put  his  bill  under  the 
door  of  his  room,  simply  to  let  him  know  the  amount  of 
his  account.  When  Smith  saw  it  he  determined  to  have 
some  fun  out  of  it.  He  went  down  to  the  office  appar- 
ently in  a  perfect  rage,  and  holding  the  account  up  to  the 
clerk,  said  he  was  grossly  insulted;  "here's  this  paper 
stuck  under  my  door,  and  it's  one  of  the  greatest  insults 
that  I  have  ever  received."  Smith  kept  on  talking  in  this 
wild  strain  for  a  few  moments,  until  he  arrested  the  at- 
tention of  every  one  in  the  bar-room.     The  poor  clerk 


KIT    CAKSON    ON    THE    VKLLONVSTONE 


503 


tried  to  pacily  liiiii,  but,  lailiiig  t'oiupk'tcly,  sent  lor  Mr. 
Nolan,  the  })r()prietor,  wlio,  coming-  in,  tried  to  reason 
with  Smith,  ]»ut  all  in  vain.  Finally,  Snutli  in  great 
indignation  called  for  his  horse.  It  was  a  line  ainnial,  as 
he  always  rode  the  best  that  conld  be  procured.  Upon 
this  demand  the  landlord  told  him  to  pay  his  bill  and  he 
could  have  his  horse.  He  went  back  to  his  room,  pro- 
cured his  gun,  and  started  for  the  stable,  which  was  about 
fifty  yards  from  the  house.  The  hostler  had  already  been 
ordered  not  to  let  him  have  the  animal  and  to  lock  the 
stable  door.  Peg  Leg  on  reaching  the  stable  demanded 
his  horse,  but  he  was  refused.  He  raised  his  gun  and 
shot  the  lock  all  to  pieces.  The  fellows  who  were  look- 
ing on  screamed  with  laughter  and  made  fun,  greatly  to 
the  mortification  of  Nolan.  Smith  then  told  the  hostler 
to  take  good  care  of  his  horse,  and,  his  apparent  indigna- 
tion changing  to  a  smile,  he  walked  back  to  the  house. 
Then  he  invited  every  one  up  to  the  bar  and  spent  twenty 
or  thirty  dollars  before  he  left  for  his  room.^ 

1  The  real  name  of  this  strange  old  trapper  was  Thomas  L.  Smith. 
He  was  eventually  killed  by  the  Indians. 


..t       — 


'v^*'    ',.'J;'.V. 


O/;  /f/c  Imil. 


''-^. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    BUILDING    OF     THE     UNION     PACIFIC     RAIL- 


ROAD 


EXTRACT     FROM     GENERAL     SHERMANS     MEMOIRS 


GENERAL    DODGE  S  DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    COUNTRY    WHEN  HE 

FIRST    SAW    IT EXPLORATIONS  FOR  A  ROUTE CONFERENCE 

WITH     PRESIDENT     LINCOLN LOCATION     OF     THE     MILITARY 

POST     OF     D.     A.     RUSSELL    AND    THE     TOWN    OF     CHEYENNE 

DRIVING    THE    LAST    SPIKE 


CenerdlCM.DodQ^c  \         ^         |N  this  story  of  the  Salt 

Lake  Trail,  our  account 
would  not  be  complete 
without  including  the 
history  of  the  great 
"  Iron  Trail  "  that  now 
practically,  for  a  long 
distance,  follows  the  grassy 
path  of  the  lumbering  stage- 
coach, the  slowly  moving 
freight  caravans  drawn  by  patient 
oxen,  or  the  dangerous  route  of  the 
relatively  rapid  Pony  Express. 
No  better  story  of  the  construction  of  the  Great 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  can  be  found  than  the  address  of 
its  chief  engineer.  General  G.  M.  Dodge,  before  the 
Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  at  Toledo,  Ohio, 
on  the  15th  of  September,  1888.  He  had  been  over  the 
whole  region  which  extends  from  the  Missouri  River  to 
Salt  Lake  in  the  early  'oO's,  and,  as  has  been  said  of  him 
by  a  distinguished  jurist,  now  dead  :   ''  He  was  an  enthu- 

504 


BUILDING    THE   UNION   PACIFIC    RAILROAD  505 

siast  who  C()mmuuicatt.'(l  eiitliusiasin  to  liis  workiuc 
forces,  and  lit*  showed  his  skill  in  the  iuaiia<^eineiit  of  hus- 
tile  Indians,  and  the  rulHans  and  gamblers  who  followed 
the  canij).  The  close  of  the  war,  in  which  he  distin- 
guished himself,  left  him  at  liberty  to  accept  this  position 
of  chief  engineer,  and  his  intimate  relations  with  Grant 
and  Slierman  put  him  on  such  terms  with  commanding 
otKcers  of  garrisons  and  military  posts  along  the  route, 
that  he  was  enabled  to  avail  himself  of  military  aid 
against  marauding  Indians,  and  also  frequently  in  main- 
taining order  when  worthless  camp-followers  become 
unruly." 

The  authors  of  this  work  have  deemed  it  advisable  to 
quote  the  greater  part  of  General  Dodge's  address,  as  a 
more  complete  account  of  the  construction  of  the  road 
than  anything  to  be  found  elsewhere  on  the  subject :  — 

"  Turn  with  me,"  he  says,  "  to  the  first  volume  of  Gen- 
eral Sherman's  memoirs,  page  79,  where  he  says  :  — 

'' '  Shortly  after  returning  from  Monterey,  I  was  sent  to 
General  Smith  up  to  Sacramento  City  to  instruct  Lieu- 
tenants Warner  and  Williamson,  of  the  engineers,  to  push 
their  surveys  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  the  possibility  of  passing  that 
range  by  a  railroad,  a  subject  that  then  elicited  universal 
interest.  It  was  generally  assumed  that  such  a  road 
could  not  be  made  along  any  of  the  immigrant  roads  then 
in  use,  and  Warner's  orders  were  to  look  farther  north  up 
the  Feather  River,  or  some  of  its  tributaries.  Warner 
was  engaged  in  this  survey  during  tiie  summer  and  fall 
of  1849,  and  liad  explored  to  the  very  end  of  Goose  Lake, 
the  source  of  Feather  River,  when  this  officer's  career  was 
terminated  by  death  in  battle  with  the  Indians.' 

*••  He  was  too  modest  to  add,  as  I  have  no  doubt  was 
the  fact,  that  those  instructions  were  sent  at  his  own  sug- 
gestion ;  that  was  the  first  exploring  party  ever  sent  into 


506  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

the  field  for  the  special  purpose  of  ascertahiing  the  feasi- 
bility of  constructing  a  railway  on  a  portion  of  the  line 
of  one  of  the  transcontinental  routes,  and  that  the  explo- 
ration preceded  by  at  least  four  years  the  act  of  Congress 
making  appropriations  '  for  explorations  and  surveys  for 
a  railroad  route  from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,'  the  earlier  fruits  of  which  were  embodied  in 
thirteen  ponderous  volumes,  printed  at  the  expense  of  the 
government. 

"And  still  further.  The  interest  thus  early  manifested 
continuing  with  unabated  force  was  signalized  in  the 
closing  days  of  his  official  life  by  a  summary  of  transcon- 
tinental railroad  construction  up  to  tliat  date,  1883,  so 
exhaustive  as  to  the  leading  facts  that  I  am  at  a  loss 
touching  the  scope  he  expects  me  to  give  to  this  paper. 
This  summary  may  be  found  in  General  Sherman's  last 
report  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  including  the  exhaustive 
statistics  of  Colonel  Poe.  (Ex.  Doc.  1,  Part  2,  Forty-eighth 
Congress,  1st  Session,  pages  46,  47,  and  253-317.) 

"  Under  all  circumstances,  therefore,  I  must  assume  that 
he  expects  me  to  confine  my  remarks  to  something  of  an 
elaboration  of  the  details  of  the  construction  of  those 
lines  with  which  I  was  personally  identified,  more  espe- 
cially that  which  first  of  all  linked  the  two  oceans  to- 
gether.  .   .   . 

"  When  I  first  saw  the  country  west  of  the  jNIissouri 
River  it  was  without  civil  government,  inhabited  almost 
exclusively  by  Indians.  The  few  white  men  in  it  were 
voyageurs,  or  connected  in  some  way  with  the  United 
States  army.  It  was  supposed  to  be  uninhabitable,  with- 
out any  natural  resources  or  productiveness,  a  vast  expanse 
of  arid  plains,  broken  here  and  there  with  barren,  snow- 
capped mountains.  Even  Iowa  was  unsettled  west  of  the 
Des  Moines  River. 

"  It  cost  the  government  in  those  days  from  one  to  two 


BUILDING    TIIK    LNION    r.VClKIC    KAILKOAD  o07 

cents  per  pouiul  ttj  haul  fi'ciL,''Iit  one  liundred  miles  to  sup- 
ply its  posts  ;  and  I  was  at  one  time  in  the  country  between 
the  Humboldt  and  the  Platte  nearly  eii,dit  months  without 
seeing  a  white  man  other  than  my  own  employees. 

"Now,  from  the  Missouri  liiver  to  the  I'acitic,  from  the 
Ked  River  and  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  British  possessions, 
the  territory  is  all  under  civil  law. 

"The  vast  region  is  traversed  its  entire  length  by  five 
great  transcontinental  lines  of  railroad.  There  is  hardly 
a  county  in  it  not  organized,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
there  is  not  a  township  that  is  without  an  occupant.  Its 
plains  teem  with  all  the  products  grown  east  of  the  Mis- 
souri River.  It  has  become  the  great  corn  and  wheat 
producing  belt  of  the  United  States ;  its  mountains  are 
the  producers  of  millions  upon  millions  of  the  precious 
ores,  and  from  every  range  and  valley  iron  and  coal  in 
immense  quantities  are  being  mined. 

"  It  is  said  that  a  railroad  enhances  ten  times  the  value 
of  the  country  through  which  it  runs  and  which  it  con- 
trols, but  the  value  of  this  country  has  been  enhanced 
hundreds  of  times.  The  government  has  reaped  from  it 
a  thousand-fold  for  every  dollar  it  has  expended  ;  and  the 
Pacific  roads  have  been  the  one  great  cause  that  made  this 
state  of  affairs  possible.  The  census  of  1890  will  place, 
in  this  territory,  fifteen  million  of  people,  and  in  twenty 
years  it  will  support  forty  million. 

"  It  is  difficult,  I  doubt  not,  for  you  to  comprehend  the 
fact  that  the  first  time  I  crossed  the  ^Missouri  River  was 
on  a  raft,  and  at  the  point  where  stands  the  city  of  Omaha 
to-day.  That  night  I  slept  in  the  teepee  of  an  Omaha 
Indian. 

*•  When  I  crossed  my  party  over  to  make  the  first  ex- 
plorations not  one  of  us  had  any  knowledge  of  Indians, 
of  the  Indian  language,  or  of  plains  craft.  The  Indians 
surrounded   our   wagons,    took    what    they    wanted,    and 


508  THE   GREAT   SALT    LAKE   TUAIL 

dubbed  us  squaws.  In  my  exploring,  ahead  and  alone, 
I  struck  the  Elkhorn  River  about  noon.  Being  tired,  I 
hid  my  rifle,  saddle,  and  blanket,  sauntered  out  into  a 
secluded  place  in  the  woods  with  my  pony,  and  lay  down 
to  sleep.  I  was  awakened  and  found  my  ftony  gone.  I 
looked  out  upon  the  valley,  and  saw  an  Indian  running 
off  with  him.  I  was  twenty-five  miles  from  my  party 
and  was  terrified.  It  was  my  first  experience,  for  I  was 
very  young.  Wliat  possessed  me  I  do  not  know,  but  I 
grabbed  my  rifle  and  started  after  the  Indian  hallooing  at 
the  top  of  my  voice.  The  pony  held  back,  and  the  Indian, 
seeing  me  gaining  upon  him,  let  the  horse  go,  jumped  into 
the  Elkhorn,  and  put  that  river  between  us. 

"The  Indian  was  a  Pawnee.  He  served  me  in  1865, 
and  said  to  me  that  I  made  so  much  noise  he  was  a  '  heap 
scared.' 

"Within  a  radius  of  ten  miles  of  that  same  ground 
to-day  are  five  distinct  lines  of  railroad,  coming  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  concentrating  at  Omaha  for  a  con- 
nection with  the  Union  Pacific. 

"  The  first  private  survey  and  exploration  of  the  Pacific 
Railroad  was  caused  by  the  failure  of  the  Mississippi  & 
Missouri,  now  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island,  &  Pacific,  to 
complete  its  project. 

"  The  men  who  put  their  money  into  that  enterprise 
conceived  the  idea  of  working  up  a  scheme,  west  of  Iowa, 
that  would  be  an  inducement  to  capital  to  invest  in  carry- 
ing their  project  across  Iowa  to  the  Missouri  River.  They 
also  wished  to  determine  at  what  point  on  the  Missouri  the 
Pacific  Railroad  would  start,  so  as  to  terminate  their  road 
at  that  point.  The  explorers  adopted  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa,  as  that  point.  All  roads  crossing  the  state  for 
years  ended  their  surveys  at  that  point,  and  all  roads 
now  built  connect  with  that  point.  These  explorations, 
commenced  by  me  in  1853,  were  continued  each  year  until 


lh^-4 


Ox   THK   SlTK   OF  THE   Ol.D   'I'uAIL. 


lU'II.DINC.    THE    UNION    PACIFIC    KAILKOAD  50? 

18G1,  wlit'ii  tliL'  result  was  seen  in  the  I'liuiiin;^  ut"  the  bill 
now  known  iis  the  Law  of  18G2. 

"  After  this  bill  was  passed,  the  Union  Pacific  Company 
was  organized  at  Chicago,  September  2,  18<)2,  and  Keed, 
l)ey,  and  Brayton  made  reconnoissances  east  of  the  moun- 
tains. Reed  confining  liis  work  to  the  crossing  of  the 
mountains  to  reach  the  Great  Salt  Lake  Biisin.  The  effort 
to  engage  capital  in  the  road  was  a  failure. 

•'  During  these  explorations,  in  1856  or  1857,  I  hap- 
pened to  return  to  Council  Bluffs,  where  Mr.  Lincoln 
chanced  to  be  on  business.  It  was  then  quite  an  event 
for  an  exploring  party  to  reach  the  States.  After  dinner, 
while  I  was  sitting  on  the  stoop  of  the  Pacific  House,  Mr. 
Lincoln  came  and  sat  beside  me,  and  in  his  kindly  way 
and  manner  was  soon  drawing  from  me  all  I  knew  of  the 
country  west,  and  the  result  of  ray  surveys.  The  secrets 
that  were  to  go  to  my  employers  he  got,  and,  in  fact,  as 
the  saying  there  was,  he  completely  'shelled  my  woods.' 
President  Lincoln,  in  the  spring  of  1863,  sent  for  me  to 
come  to  Washington. 

"  When  I  received  the  summons  from  General  Grant,  at 
Corinth,  Mississippi,  to  repair  to  Washington,  giving  no 
reason,  it  alarmed  me.  I  had  armed  without  authority  a 
lot  of  negroes  and  organized  them  into  a  company  to  guard 
the  Corinth  contraband  camp.  It  had  been  severely  criti- 
cised in  the  arm}-,  and  I  thought  this  act  of  mine  had  partly 
to  do  with  my  call  to  Washington  ;  however,  upon  reach- 
ing there  and  reporting  to  the  President,  I  found  that  he 
recollected  his  conversation  on  the  Pacific  House  stoop  ; 
that  he  was,  under  the  law,  to  fix  the  eastern  terminus  of 
the  Pacific  Road  ;  and,  also,  that  he  was  very  anxious  to 
have  the  road  commenced  and  built,  and  desired  to  con- 
sult me  on  these  questions.  He  finally  fixed  the  terminus 
at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 

"  In  the  discussion  of  the  means  of  building  the  road  I 


610  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

thouglit  and  urged  that  no  private  combination  should  be 
relied  on,  that  it  must  be  done  by  the  government.  The 
President  frankly  said  that  the  government  had  its  hands 
full.  Private  enterprise  must  do  the  work,  and  all  the 
government  could  do  was  to  aid.  What  he  wished  to 
know  of  me  was,  what  was  required  from  the  government 
to  ensure  its  commencement  and  completion.  He  said  it 
was  a  military  necessity  that  the  road  should  be  built. 

"  From  Washington  I  proceeded  to  New  York,  and 
after  consulting  there  with  the  parties  who  had  the  ques- 
tion before  them,  the  bill  of  1864  was  drawn.  In  due 
time  it  passed,  and  under  it  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific 
Railroads,  constituting  one  continuous  line,  were  built. 

"  In  the  fall  of  1864,  and  after  the  fall  of  Atlanta,  and 
while  on  my  return  from  City  Point,  where  I  had  been  to 
visit  General  Grant  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  the  com- 
mander-in-chief sent  me  back  by  way  of  Washington  to 
see  the  President. 

"  While  the  President  referred  to  the  Pacific  Road,  its 
progress  and  the  result  of  my  former  visit,  he  gave  it  very 
little  thought,  apparently,  and  his  great  desire  seemed  to 
be  to  get  encouragement  respecting  the  situation  around 
Richmond,  which  just  then  was  very  dark.  People  were 
criticising  Grant's  strategy,  and  telling  him  how  to  take 
Richmond.  I  think  the  advice  and  pressure  on  President 
Lincoln  were  almost  too  much  for  him,  for  during  my 
entire  visit,  which  lasted  several  hours,  he  confined  him- 
self, after  reading  a  chapter  out  of  a  humorous  book  (I 
believe  called  the  Gospel  of  Peace),  to  Grant  and  the 
situation  at  Petersburg  and  Richmond. 

"After  Atlanta,  my  assignment  to  a  separate  depart- 
ment brought  the  country  between  the  IVIissouri  River 
and  California  under  my  command,  and  then  I  was 
charged  with  the  Indian  canq)aigns  of  1865  and  1866.  I 
travelled  again  over  all  that  portion  of  the  country  I  had 


BUII-DINC    TIIK    INION     I'ACIFK'    KAII.KoAD  511 

exploreil  in  former  years,  and  saw  tlie  l)e<ifinning  of  tliat 
great  future  tliat  awaited  it.  I  then  l)('L,Mn  to  eonipre- 
hend  its  capabilities  and  resources,  and  in  all  movements 
of  (»ur  troops  and  scouting  parties  I  had  rejjorts  made 
upon  the  country  —  its  resources  and  tojxtgraphy  ;  and  I 
myself,  during  the  two  years,  traversed  it  east  and  west, 
north  and  south,  from  the  Arkansas  to  the  Yellowstone 
and  from  Missouri  to  the  Salt  Lake  Hasin. 

'•It  was  on  one  of  these  trips  that  I  discovered  the  i)ass 
through  the  Black  Hills,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  Sher- 
man, in  honour  of  my  great  chief.  Its  elevation  is  8236 
feet,  and  for  3'ears  it  was  the  highest  point  reached  by 
any  railroad  in  the  United  States.  The  circumstances  of 
this  accidental  discovery  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  you. 

*•  While  returning  from  the  Powder  River  campaign  I 
was  in  the  habit  of  leaving  my  troops,  and,  with  a  few 
men,  examining  all  the  approaches  and  passes  from  Fort 
Fetterraan  south,  over  the  secondary  range  of  mountains 
known  as  the  Black  Hills,  the  most  difficult  to  overcome 
Avith  proper  grades  of  all  the  ranges,  on  account  of  its 
short  slopes  and  great  height.  When  I  reached  the 
Lodge-Pole  Creek,  up  which  went  the  overland  trail,  I 
took  a  few  mounted  men  —  I  think  six — and  with  one  of 
my  scouts  as  guide,  Avent  uj)  the  creek  to  the  summit  of 
Cheyenne  Pass,  striking  south  along  the  crest  of  the 
mountains  to  obtain  a  good  view  of  the  country,  the 
troops  and  trains  at  the  same  time  passing  along  the  east 
base  of  the  mountains  on  what  was  known  as  the  St. 
Vrain  and  the  Laramie  trail. 

"  About  noon,  in  the  valley  of  a  tributary  of  Crow 
Creek,  we  discovered  Indians,  who  at  the  same  time  dis- 
covered us.  They  were  between  us  and  011  r  trains.  I 
saw  our  danger  and  took  means  immediately  to  reacli  the 
ridge  and  try  to  head  them  off,  and  follow  it  to  wliere  the 
cavalry  could  see  our  signals.     We  dismounted  and  started 


512  THE    GKEAT    SALT    LAKE    TRAIL 

dowii  the  ridge,  liolding  the  Indians  at  ba}^  wlien  they 
came  too  near,  with  our  Winchesters.  It  was  nearly- 
night  when  tlie  troops  saw  our  smoke-signals  of  danger 
and  came  to  our  relief  ;  and  in  going  to  the  train  we  fol- 
lowed this  ridge  out  until  I  discovered  it  led  down  to  the 
plains  without  a  break.  I  then  said  to  my  guide  that  if 
we  saved  our  scalps  I  believed  we  had  found  the  crossing 
of  the  Black  Hills  —  and  over  this  ridge,  between  the  Lone 
Tree  and  Crow  Creeks,  the  wonderful  line  over  the  moun- 
tains was  built.  For  over  two  years  all  explorations  had 
failed  to  find  a  satisfactory  crossing  of  this  range.  The 
country  east  of  it  was  unexplored,  but  we  had  no  doubt 
we  could  reach  it. 

"•  In  1867,  General  Augur,  General  John  A.  Rawlins, 
Colonel  Mizner,  and  some  others,  crossing  the  plains  with 
me,  reached  the  point  where  I  camped  that  night.  We 
spent  there  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  General  Rawlins 
made  a  remarkable  speech  commemorating  the  day.  We 
located  there  the  post  of  D.  A.  Russell  and  the  city  of 
Cheyenne.  At  that  time  the  nearest  settlement  was  at 
Denver,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  away  ;  and  while  we 
lay  there  the  Indians  swooped  down  on  a  Mormon  train 
that  had  followed  our  trail,  and  killed  two  of  its  men  ; 
but  we  saved  their  stock,  and  started  the  graveyard  of 
the  future  city. 

"  The  explorations  by  the  government  for  a  Pacific 
railroad  are  all  matters  of  official  report,  long  since  pub- 
lished and  open  to  all.  They  were  the  basis  for  the  future 
explorations  of  all  the  transcontinental  lines,  except  the 
Union  Pacific,  then  known  as  that  of  the  forty-second 
parallel  of  latitude.  That  line,  and  the  country  from 
the  Arkansas  to  the  Yellowstone,  was  explored  and  de- 
veloped mainly  by  private  enterprise,  and  it  is  by  far  the 
most  practicable  line  crossing  the  continent — the  short- 
est and  quickest,  of  lightest  curvature,  and  lowest  grades 


BUILDING    THE   UNION    PACIFIC    1!  A  I  I.i;(  »AI)  513 

and  suiumils.  It  is  not,  in  an  engineerini,^  p(»int  of  view, 
the  true  line  from  the  Athintic  to  the  Pacilic,  but  in  a 
coniniercial  point  of  view  it  is. 

"  In  an  engineering^  l)()int  of  view  \\v  demonstrated, 
before  the  year  1860,  that  tlie  true  line  was  up  the  Platte 
to  its  forks,  to  whieh  point  the  Union  Pacific  is  now  built, 
then  up  (where  the  Oregon  Short  Line  now  runs)  to  the 
Columbia,  and  then  to  tide-water  at  Portland.  The 
Union  and  Central  were  built  for  commercial  value,  and 
to  obtain  the  shortest  and  quickest  line  from  ocean  to 
ocean.  The  line  of  the  Central  was  controlled  almost 
entirely  by  the  development  of  the  mining  industries  in 
California  and  Nevada  until  it  reached  the  Humboldt  ; 
then  its  natural  course  would  be  to  reach  Salt  Lake  and 
the  ]Mormon  settlements.  The  Union  Pacific  objective 
point  was  the  Pacific  Coast  by  way  of  the  Great  Platte 
Valley  and  Salt  Lake.   .   .   . 

'•  When  we  reached  the  mountains  a  series  of  questions 
arose  as  to  how  this  base  should  be  determined.  The 
eastern  base  was  determined  by  Mr.  Blickensderfer,  who 
was  appointed  by  the  government.  After  examining  the 
country  he  declared  it  to  be  right  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  Avhere  the  heavy  grades  to  overcome  the  first 
range,  the  Black  Hills,  were  made  necessary  —  a  very 
proper  decision.  The  west  base  of  the  Sierra  was  located 
near  Sacramento,  where  the  drift  of  the  mountains  reached 
into  the  valley,  or  where,  you  might  say,  the  first  ap- 
proach to  the  mountains  begins,  but  long  before  the 
heavy  grades  commenced. 

"  A  good  story  is  told,  the  truth  of  which  I  will  not 
undertake  to  vouch  for,  in  relation  to  the  fixing  of  the 
base.  By  the  original  railroad  act,  as  we  have  noticed, 
the  President  was  to  fix  the  point  where  the  Sacramento 
Valley  ended  and  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
began.  Chief  Engineer  Judah,  in  his  report,  had  desig- 
2l 


514  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

nated  liarinore's,  thirty-one  miles  from  Sacramento,  as 
the  beginning  of  the  mountains.  This  corresponded  with 
a  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
made  in  April,  1864,  in  the  case  of  the  Liedsdorff  grant. 
The  contestants  of  the  grant  attempted  to  fix  the  eastern 
boundaries  at  Alder  Creek,  eighty  miles  nearer  Sacra- 
mento. This  grant,  by  Mexican  authority,  was  bounded 
by  the  foot-hills  on  the  east.  The  Supreme  Court  decided 
that  the  foot-hills  commenced  about  thirty  miles  from  that 
city.  Several  attempts  were  made  by  Mr.  Sargent,  then 
a  member  of  Congress,  and  since  United  States  Senator, 
soon  after  the  passage  of  the  original  act,  to  bring  the 
attention  of  President  Lincoln  to  this  subject,  but  the 
President's  constant  occupation,  with  weightier  duties 
forced  upon  him  by  the  great  war,  prevented  his  action. 
The  time  came,  however,  when  it  could  be  no  longer 
delayed. 

"  Owing  to  the  increase  of  subsidy  among  the  hills  and 
mountains,  it  was  important  to  the  railway  company  that 
the  foot-hills  should  begin  as  near  as  possible  to  Sacra- 
mento. The  senator  claims  the  credit  of  moving  the 
mountains  from  Barmore's  to  Arcade  Creek,  a  distance  of 
twenty-four  miles.  His  relation  of  the  affair  to  his  friends 
is  this  :  Lincoln  was  engaged  with  a  map  when  the  sena- 
tor substituted  another,  and  demonstrated  by  it  and  the 
statement  of  some  geologist  that  the  black  soil  of  the 
valley  and  the  red  soil  of  the  hills  united  at  Arcade.  The 
President  relied  on  the  statements  given  to  him,  and  de- 
cided accordingly.  '  Here  you  see,'  said  the  senator,  '  how 
my  pertinacity  and  Abraham's  faith  removed  mountains.' 

"  Reconnoissances  made  in  1862,  1863,  1864,  had  demon- 
strated that  a  serious  question  would  arise  in  reaching 
the  Humboldt  Valley  from  the  western  foot  of  the  Wah- 
satch  Mountains  in  the  Salt  Lake  Basin.  Should  the  line 
go  north  or  south  of  the  lake  ?     The  Mormon  Church  and 


BriLinxr,    THE    UNION    I'ACIFIC    KAIT.ltoAT*  615 

all  of  its  followers,  a  central  power  of  ^^vv;\l  use  to  the 
traiiseoiitiiiental  roads,  were  determinedly  in  favour  of  the 
south  line.  It  was  preached  from  the  pulpits  and  authori- 
tatively announced  that  a  road  could  not  be  built  or  run 
north  of  the  lake.  But  our  explorations  in  an  earlier  day 
unqualifiedly  indicated  the  north  side,  though  an  exhaus- 
tive examination  was  made  south,  and  only  one  line  run 
north,  it  being  our  main  line  to  the  California  state  line 
surveyed  in  18GT. 

"  The  explorations  by  parties  south  of  the  lake,  and  the 
personal  examinations  of  the  chief  engineer,  determined 
that  it  had  no  merits  compared  witli  the  north  line,  and 
on  such  report  the  north  line  was  adopted  by  the  company 
and  accepted  by  the  government. 

"  Hrigham  Young  called  a  conference  of  his  church, 
and  refused  to  accept  the  decision  ;  prohibited  his  people 
from  contracting  or  working  for  the  Union  Pacitic,  and 
threw  all  his  influence  and  efforts  to  the  Central  Pacific, 
which  just  at  tliat  time  was  of  great  moment,  as  there  was 
a  complete  force  of  Mormon  contractors  and  labourers  in 
Salt  Lake  Valley  competent  to  construct  the  line  two 
hundred  miles  east  or  west  of  the  lake.  The  two  com- 
panies also  liad  entered  into  active  competition,  each  re- 
spectively to  see  how  far  east  or  west  of  the  lake  they 
could  build,  that  city  being  the  objective  point,  and  the 
key  to  the  control  of  the  great  basin. 

"  The  Central  Pacific  Company  entered  upon  the  ex- 
amination of  the  lines  long  after  the  Union  Pacific  had 
determined  and  filed  its  line,  and  we  waited  the  decision 
of  their  engineers  with  some  anxiety.  We  knew  they 
could  not  ol)tain  so  good  a  line,  but  we  were  in  doubt 
whether,  with  the  aid  of  the  Mormon  Church,  and  the 
fact  that  the  line  south  of  the  lake  passed  through  Salt 
Lake  City,  the  only  commercial  capital  between  the  Mis- 
souri River  and   Sacramento,  they  might  decide  to  take 


516  THE   GREAT   SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

the  long  and  undulating  line  ;  and  then  the  question  as 
to  which  (the  one  built  south,  the  other  built  north,  and 
it  would  fall  to  the  government  to  decide)  should  receive 
the  bonds  and  become  the  transcontinental  line.  How- 
ever, the  engineers  of  the  Central  Pacific,  Clements  and 
Ives,  took  as  strong  ground,  or  stronger  than  Ave,  in  favour 
of  the  north  line,  and  located  almost  exactly  on  the  same 
ground  the  Union  Pacific  had  occupied  a  year  before ; 
and  this  brought  the  Mormon  forces  to  the  Union  Pacific, 
their  first  love. 

"  The  location  of  the  Union  Pacific  was  extended  to  the 
California  state  line,  and  that  of  the  Central  Pacific  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Weber  Cafion.  The  Union  Pacific  work 
hastened,  and  most  of  the  line  graded  to  Humboldt  Wells, 
two  hundred  and  nineteen  miles  west  of  Ogden,  and  the 
Union  Pacific  met  the  track  of  the  Central  Pacific  at  Prom- 
ontory Summit,  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
six  miles  west  of  the  Missouri  River,  and  six  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  miles  east  of  Sacramento,  on  May  9,  1869, 
to  the  wonder  of  America,  and  the  utter  astonishment  of 
the  whole  world,  completing  the  entire  line  seven  years 
before  the  limit  of  time  allowed  by  the  government.  .  .   . 

"In  1863  and  1864  surveys  were  inaugurated,  but  in 
1866  the  country  was  systematically  occupied ;  and  day 
and  night,  summer  and  winter,  the  explorations  were 
pushed  forward  through  dangers  and  hardships  that  very 
few  at  this  day  appreciate  ;  as  every  mile  had  to  be  within 
range  of  the  musket,  there  was  not  a  moment's  security. 
In  making  the  surveys,  numbers  of  our  men,  some  of  them 
the  ablest  and  most  promising,  were  killed ;  and  during 
the  construction  our  stock  was  run  off  by  the  hundred,  I 
might  say  by  the  tliousand.  As  one  difficulty  after  another 
arose  and  was  overcome,  both  in  the  engineering  and  con- 
struction departments,  a  new  era  in  railroad  building  was 
inaugurated. 


BUILDING    THE   UMOX    PACIFIC    RAILROAD  517 

"Each  ilay  t;uii;lil  us  lessons  by  Nvliich  we  profited  for 
the  next,  ami  our  advances  and  improvements  in  the  art  of 
railway  construction  were  marked  by  the  pro<:^ress  of  tlie 
work;  forty  miles  of  track  having  been  laid  in  18(Jo,  two 
hundred  and  sixty  in  18G6,  two  hundred  and  forty  in  1807, 
including  the  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  Kocky  Mountains, 
at  an  elevation  of  eight  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty  feet 
above  the  ocean ;  and  during  1808  and  to  ]May  10,  1809, 
live  hundred  and  fifty-five  miles,  all  exclusive  of  side  and 
temporary  tracks,  of  which  over  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  were  built  in  addition. 

"The  first  grading  was  done  in  the  autumn  of  1864,  and 
the  first  rail  laid  in  July,  1805.  Wlien  you  look  back  to  the 
beginning  at  the  Missouri  River,  with  no  railway  commu- 
nication from  the  east,  and  five  hundred  miles  of  tlie 
country  in  advance ;  without  timber,  fuel,  or  any  material 
whatever  from  which  to  build  or  maintain  a  roadbed  itself  ; 
with  everythihg  to  be  transported,  and  that  by  teams  or 
at  best  by  steamboats,  for  hundreds  and  thousands  of 
miles ;  everything  to  be  created,  with  labour  scarce  and 
high,  —  you  can  all  look  back  upon  the  work  with  satisfac- 
tion and  ask,  under  such  circumstances,  could  we  have 
done  better?  .  .  . 

"  The  experience  of  the  war  made  possible  the  building 
of  this  transcontinental  railroad,  not  only  physically,  but 
financially.  The  government,  already  burdened  with  bill- 
ions of  debt,  floated  fifty  million  dollars  more,  and  by 
this  action  it  created  a  credit  which  enabled  the  railroad 
company  to  float  an  equal  amount ;  and  these  two  credits, 
when  handled  by  men  of  means  and  courage,  who  also 
threw  their  own  private  fortunes  into  the  scale,  accom- 
plished the  work. 

"If  it  had  been  proposed,  before  the  war,  tliat  the 
United  States  should  use  its  credit,  and  issue  l)onds  to 
build  a  railroad  two  thousand  miles  long  across  a  vast, 


518  THE  GREAT   SALT    LAKE  TRAIL 

barren  plain,  only  known  to  the  red  man,  uninhabited, 
without  one  dolhir  of  business  to  sustain  it,  the  proposi- 
tion alone  would  have  virtually  bankrupted  the  nation. 

"  Possibilities  of  finance,  as  developed  during  the  war, 
made  this  problem  not  only  possible,  but  solved  and  carried 
it  out,  and  accomplished  in  three  years  a  feat  which  no 
previous  plan  had  proposed  to  accomplish  in  less  than 
ten  years ;  and  while  it  was  being  accomplished,  the  only 
persons  who  had  real,  solid,  undoubted  faith  in  its  com- 
pletion were  that  portion  of  the  nation  who  had  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  war. 

"  Necessity  brought  out  during  the  war  bold  structures 
that  in  their  rough  were  models  of  economy  in  material 
and  strength.  In  taking  care  of  direct  and  lateral  strains 
by  positions  of  posts  and  braces,  they  adopted  principles 
that  are  used  to-day  in  the  highest  and  boldest  structures  ; 
and  I  undertake  to  say  that  no  structure  up  to  date  has 
been  built  which  has  not  followed  those  simple  principles 
that  were  evolved  out  of  necessity,  though  reported  against 
during  the  war  by  the  most  experienced  and  reliable 
engineers  of  the  world. 

"  A  few  bold  spirits  backed  the  enterprise  with  their 
fortunes  and  independent  credit.  They  were  called  fools 
and  fanatics.  Oakes  Ames  —  the  real  pluck  of  the 
work  —  said  to  me  once,  '  What  makes  me  hang  on  is  the 
faith  of  you  soldiers,'  referring,  at  the  time,  to  the  support 
the  army  was  giving  us,  led  by  Grant,  Sherman,  Sheridan, 
Pope,  Thomas,  Augur,  and  Crook,  and  all  who  had  direct 
communication  with  us  on  the  plains.  There  was  nothing 
we  could  ask  them  for  that  they  did  not  give,  even  when 
regulations  did  not  authorize  it,  and  took  a  large  stretch 
of  authority  to  satisfy  our  demands. 

"  The  commissary  department  was  open  to  us.  Their 
troops  guarded  us,  and  we  reconnoitred,  surveyed,  lo- 
cated, and  built  inside  of  their  picket-line.     We  marched 


BUILDING    TUK    INlUN     I'ACll'lC    KAILKOAD 


519 


to  work  l)y  the  taj)  of  tlie  dnun  witli  our  men  armed. 
Tliev  stackeil  their  arms  on  the  iliimp.  ami  were  ready  at 
a  moment's  warning  to  tall  in  and  tight  for  their  territory. 
"General  Casement's  track-train  ccndd  arm  a  thonsand 
men  at  a  word;  and  from  him,  as  a  head,  down  to  his 
chief  spiker,  it  conld  be  commanded  by  experienced  oflicers 
of  every  rank,  from  general  to  captain.  They  had  served 
five  years  at  the  front,  and  over  half  of  the  men  had 
shouldered  a  musket  in  many  battles.     An  illustration  of 


/I ma  Monument-  5ficrmdn.  Wyom/n^. 

this  came  to  me  after  our  track  had  passed  l*luni  Creek, 
two  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Missouri  Riyer.  The 
Indians  had  captured  a  freight-train  and  were  in  posses- 
sion of  it  and  its  crews.  It  so  happened  that  I  was  coming 
down  from  the  front  with  my  car,  which  was  a  trayelling 
arsenal.  At  Plum  Creek  Station  word  came  of  this  capt- 
ure and  stopped  us.  On  my  train  were  perhaps  twenty 
men,  some  a  portion  of  the  crew,  some  who  had  been  dis- 
charged and  sought  passage  to  the  rear.  Nearly  all  were 
strangers  to  me.  The  excitement  of  the  capture  and  the 
reports  coming  by  telegraj)h  of  the  burning  train  brought 


520  THE   GREAT    SALT   LAKE   TRAIL 

all  the  men  to  the  platform,  and  when  I  called  upon  them 
to  fall  in,  to  go  forward  and  retake  the  train,  every  man 
on  the  train  went  into  line,  and  by  his  position  showed 
that  he  was  a  soldier.  We  ran  down  slowly  until  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  train.  I  gave  the  order  to  deploy  as  skir- 
mishers, and  at  the  command  they  went  forward  as  steadily 
and  in  as  good  order  as  we  had  seen  the  old  soldiers  climb 
the  face  of  Kenesaw  under  fire. 

"Less  than  ten  years  before.  General  Sherman  had 
suggested  a  different  method  of  dispensing  with  the 
Indian.     Writing  to  his  brother,  he  said  :  — 

" '  No  particular  danger  need  be  apprehended  from 
Indians.  They  will  no  doubt  pilfer  and  rob,  and  may 
occasionally  attack  and  kill  stragglers ;  but  the  grading 
of  the  road  will  require  strong  parties,  capable  of  defend- 
ing themselves  ;  and  the  supplies  for  tlie  road  and  main- 
tenance of  the  workmen  will  be  carried  in  large  trains 
of  wagons,  such  as  went  last  year  to  Salt  Lake,  none  of 
which  were  molested  by  the  Indians.  So  large  a  number 
of  workmen  distributed  along  the  line  will  introduce 
enough  whiskey  to  kill  off  all  the  Indians  within  three 
hundred  miles  of  the  road.'  " 

In  speaking  of  the  climatic  changes  incident  to  the 
building  of  transcontinental  lines  of  railroad.  General 
Dodge  also  says  :  — 

"  The  building  of  the  Pacific  roads  has  changed  the 
climate  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Sierra 
Nevada.  In  the  extreme  West  it  is  not  felt  so  much 
as  between  the  Missouri  River  and  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Before  settlement  had  developed  it,  the  country  west 
of  the  Missouri  River  could  raise  little  of  the  main  crops, 
except  by  irrigation.  From  April  until  September  no 
rain  fell.  The  snows  of  the  mountains  furnished  the 
streams  with  water  and  the  bunch-grass  with  sufficient 
dampness  to  sustain  it  until  July  when  it  became  cured 


BL'lLUINt;    TH1-:    INION    I'ACIFIC    ICAlLliUAU  5*21 

iiiul  was  the  food  that  sustained  all  animal  life  on  the 
plains,  summer  and  winter. 

*'I  have  seen  herds  of  butTalo,  hundreds  of  thousands 
in  number,  living  off  bunch-grass  that  they  obtained  by 
pawing  through  two  feet  of  snow,  on  the  level.  It  was 
this  feature  that  induced  the  stocking  of  immense  ranches 
with  cattle.  Buffalo  never  changed  the  character  of  the 
grass,  but  herds  of  cattle  did,  so  that  now,  on  the  ranges, 
very  little  of  the  bunch  or  buffalo  grass  remains. 

"  Since  the  building  of  these  roads,  it  is  calculated  that 
the  rain  belt  moves  westward  at  the  rate  of  eight  miles 
a  year.  It  has  now  certainly  reached  the  plains  of  Col- 
orado, and  for  tw^o  years  that  high  and  dry  state  has 
raised  crops  without  irrigation,  right  up  to  the  foot  of 
the  mountains. 

"  Salt  Lake  since  1852  has  risen  nineteen  feet,  submerg- 
ing whole  farms  along  its  border  and  threatening  the 
level  desert  west  of  it.  It  has  been  a  gradual  but  per- 
manent rise,  and  comes  from  the  additional  moisture 
falling  during  the  year  —  rain  and  snow.  Professor  Ag- 
assiz,  in  1867,  after  a  visit  to  Colorado,  predicted  that  this 
increase  of  moisture  would  come  by  the  disturbance  of 
the  electric  currents,  caused  by  the  building  of  the  Pacific 
railroads  and  settlement  of  the  country. ^ 

"  It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  the  growth  of  the 
once  vast  supposed  relatively  sterile  region  Avest  of  the 
Missouri  River  is  not  due  in  its  entirety  to  the  building 
of  railroads,  but  that  the  idea  of  absolute  sterility  was 
a  mistaken  one  ;    without  a  fertile  soil  and  other  possi- 

1  The  authors  of  this  b(X)k  both  woU  ivineiuber  when  the  sand-hills 
of  the  Arkansas  River  were,  as  their  name  implied,  mere  dunes  of  sliift- 
ing  sand.  Now  they  are  covered  with  rich  verdure  upon  which  thousands 
of  cattle  feed,  and  in  the  intervales  are  to  be  seen  some  of  the  finest  fruit- 
farms  in  the  rej^ion  of  the  central  jilains.  Wiiether  Professor  Agassiz 
was  correct,  or  whether  it  is  caused  by  great  cycles  of  atmospheric  varia- 
tion, it  is  a  fact. 


522  THE  GEEAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 

bilities  for  the  advancement  of  civilization  there,  rail- 
roads would  never  have  been  constructed.  The  railroads 
have  developed  what  was  inherently  not  a  desert  in  its 
most  rigid  definition,  but  a  misunderstood  region,  which 
only  awaited  the  touch  of  the  genius  of  agriculture, 
made  possible  alone  by  the  building  of  transcontinental 
higliwa3'S." 

But  for  the  railroads  the  great  central  region  of  the 
continent  would  indeed  be  a  howling  wilderness.  As 
the  late  Sidney  Dillon,  ex-president  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  wrote  in  a  magazine  article  on  "  The  West  and 
the  Railroads  "  in  the  North  American  Revietv  for  April, 
1891,  "  Like  many  other  great  truths,  this  is  so  well 
known  to  the  older  portions  of  our  commonwealth  that 
they  have  forgotten  it ;  and  the  younger  portions  do  not 
comprehend  or  appreciate  it.  Men  are  so  constituted  that 
they  use  existing  advantages  as  if  they  had  always 
existed,  and  were  matters  of  course.  The  Avorld  went 
without  friction  matches  during  thousands  of  years,  but 
people  light  their  fires  to-day  without  a  thought  as  to  the 
marvellous  chemistry  of  the  little  instrument  that  is  of 
such  inestimable  value,  and  yet  remained  so  long  unknown. 
The  youngster  of  to-day  steps  into  a  luxurious  coach  at 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  or  Chicago,  eats,  sleeps,  surveys 
romantic  scenery  from  the  window  during  a  few  days, 
and  alights  in  Portland  or  San  Francisco  without  any 
just  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  a  few  decades  since  it 
would  have  required  weeks  of  toilsome  travel  to  go  over 
the  same  ground,  during  which  he  would  have  run  the 
risk  of  starvation,  of  being  lost  in  the  wilderness,  plun- 
dered by  robbers,  or  killed  by  savages.  The  most  benefi- 
cent function  of  the  railway  is  that  of  a  carrier  of  freight. 
What  would  it  cost  a  man  to  carry  a  ton  of  wheat  one 
mile  ?  What  would  it  cost  for  a  horse  to  do  the  same  ? 
The  railway  does  it  at  a  cost  of  less  than  a  cent.     This 


BrirjMNC.    TllK    UNION    PAClKir    ItAIMKiAl)  523 

])rin<]fs  Dakota  and  ^liiinesota  into  direct  relation  witli 
liiuigry  and  upnltnl  Li\er})ool,  and  makes  subsistence 
easier  and  cheaper  tlirougliout  tlie  civilized  world.  The 
■world  should,  therefore,  thank  the  railway  for  the 
opportunity  to  buy  wheat,  but  none  the  less  should  the 
West  thank  the  railway  for  the  opportunity  to  sell 
wheat." 

"  Nothing  now  marks  the  spot  at  Promontory  Point 
where  the  formal  ceremony  of  driving  in  the  last  spike 
took  place  on  May  10,  1869,  and  even  the  small  station 
known  as  Promontory  is  at  some  distance  from  that 
point  where  the  connection  between  the  two  transconti- 
nental roads  was  originally  made.  The  whole  aspect  of 
the  country,  from  the  Missouri  River  to  Salt  Lake,  has 
marvellously  changed.  Where  then  were  only  tents, 
there  are  now  well-built,  substantial,  and  prosperous 
towns  ;  and  instead  of  the  great  desert  wastes,  supposed 
to  be  beyond  reach  of  cultivation,  one  may  now  see  an 
almost  unbroken  stretch  of  corn-fields  and  cultivated 
lands. 

"The  five  or  six  hundred  men  who  saw  the  junction  made 
at  Promontory  Point  Avere  strongly  impressed  with  the 
conviction  that  the  event  was  of  great  national  inijiortance  ; 
but  they  connected  it  with  the  development  of  transcon- 
tinental communication,  and  trade  with  China  and  Japan, 
rather  than  with  internal  development,  or  what  railroad 
men  call  local  traffic.  They  were  somewhat  visionary,  no 
doubt,  but  none  of  them  dreamed  that  the  future  of  the 
Pacific  road  depended  more  on  the  business  that  would 
grow  out  of  the  peopling  of  the  deserts  it  traversed  than 
upon  the  through  traffic. 

"  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  opening  of  the 
Pacific  road,  viewed  simply  in  its  relation  to  the  spread 
of  population,  development  of  resources,  and  actual  ad- 
vance of  civilization,  was  an  event  to  be  ranked  in  far- 


524 


THE  GREAT   SALT   LAKE  TRAIL 


reaching   results  with   the  landing   of   the    Pilgrims,    or 
perhaps  the  voyage  of  Columbus." 

The  Great  Salt  Lake  Trail  is  now  crossed  and  recrossed 
by  the  iron  highway  of  commerce.  The  wilderness  is  no 
longer  silent ;  the  spell  of  its  enchantment  is  broken. 
The  lonely  trapper  has  vanished  from  the  stern  mountain 
scene.  The  Indian  himself  has  nearly  disappeared,  and 
in  another  generation  the  wild  landmarks  of  the  old  trail 
Avill  be  almost  the  only  tangible  memorials  of  the  men  who 
led  the  way. 


lUc  Dev/fS  5lid€.  Wcdcr  Qnon.  Ufyh. 


\'.-i 

>.>\» 


INDEX 


Agents  of  coach  lines,  their 
duties,  214. 

Ames  Monument,  illustration,  519. 

Antelope,  initial,  452. 

Antelope,  the,  and  Crouching 
Pantlier,  2i0. 

Arapahoes,  98. 

Ara-poo-ish,  the  Crow  Chief,  60. 

Ash  Hollow,  235. 

Ashley,  General  William  H.,  in  the 
Platte  Valley,  63,  70. 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  fits  out  an  ex- 
pedition, 4. 

Astoria,  4. 

Baker,  Jim,  100,  495. 

Bear  Kiver,  5. . 

Beckwourth,  Jim,  the  Crow  Chief, 
60,  63,  64.  100,  296. 

Behele,  Antoine,  08. 

Belden,  George  P.,  the  White  Chief, 
341,  360. 

Bentz  and  Wise,  their  adventure, 
369. 

Bernard,  Jules,  his  murder  by  Jack 
Slade,  205. 

Big  Eagle,  106. 

"Big  White"  Shahaka  visits  Wash- 
ington, 32. 

Blackfeet,  57,  90  ;  their  folk-lore, 
309. 

Blackfoot  and  squaw,  initial,  294. 

Blackfoot,     murdered     by     Godin, 

Oc*. 

Black  Fork  of  Green  River,  101. 
Black  Hills,  4,  54. 
Bluffs  of  Green  River,  77. 
Boone,  Daniel,  3  ;   his  two  grand- 
sons, 90. 


Bonneville,  Captain  B.  E.,  91. 

Buffalo,  extermination  of  the  sup- 
port of  the  Indian,  306. 

Buffalo,  a  "surround,"  69. 

Buffalo  Bill,  his  adventures  on  the 
Salt  Lake  Trail,  382 ;  takes  a 
scalp,  445. 

Bulletin  of  the  Plains,  110. 

Hull  Boar,  107. 

Burial  scaffold,  97. 

Brady's  Island,  233. 

Bridger,  Jim,  100,  495. 

Brigham  Young,  112,  114. 

Brul6  Indians,  98. 

California  Joe,  an   account  of  hi? 

stories  and  habits,  473. 
Campbell,  Robert,  81,  98. 
Carson,  Kit,  95,  100,  477  ;   on  the 

Platte,  495,  497,  499. 
Carver,  Captain  Jonathan,  1. 
Chaf-fa-ly-a,    her    elopement    with 

Souk,  479. 
Cheyenne  Indians,  98. 
Cliimney  Rock,  93. 
Chint-zille,  107. 
Clear  Creek,  98. 
Cliff,  Charles,  Pony  Express  rider, 

179. 
Coad,  J.  F.,  158. 
Coad,  Mark   M.,   defends  his  wife 

against  Indians,  153. 
Cockrell,  Jim,  some  account  of  hL«« 

trapping,  502. 
Cody,  Colonel  W.  F.,  on  Buckskip 

Joe,  illustration,  410. 
Cody,  W.  F.,  his  adventures  as  an 

express    rider,     180 ;      as    stage 

driver,  220. 


526 


INDEX 


Cooke,  Colonel  Philip  St.  George, 
128. 

Cottonwood  Massacre,  The,  37-4. 

Coulter,  John,  o. 

Coyote,  initial,  81. 

Crazy  Woman's  Creek,  241. 

Creighton,  Edward,  constructs  a 
telegraph  line  across  the  conti- 
nent, 208. 

Crooks,  chased  by  grizzlies,  22. 

Crossing  the  Plains,  tailpiece,  96. 

Crouching  Panther,  238. 

Crows,  nioiest  Stuart,  5,  17,  58 ; 
attack  AVillianis'  party,  61,  91  ; 
account  of  the  tribe,  294  ;  wars 
with  Blackfeet,  296  ;  invade  Sioux 
Country,  300  ;  legends,  303. 

Curley,  the  scout,  451. 

Custer,  General ;  massacre  of  his 
command,  418,  441  ;  monument, 
451. 

Day,  John,  4. 

De    Smet,    Father,    describes    the 

Platte  Valley,  229. 
Devil's  Gate,  120. 

Dodge,  General,  G.  M.,  initial,  504. 
Do-ran-to  and  Ni-ar-gua,  49. 
Dry  bed  of  the  South  Fork  of  the 

Platte,  tailpiece,  224. 
Drying  meat ;  tailpiece,  62. 

Elk  Horn  River,  112. 
Elopement,  an  Indian,  49. 
Encampment,  Indian,  tailpiece,  31. 
Etespa-huska,  The  Long  Bow,  105. 
Expedition     under     Harney     sent 
against  IMormons,  125. 

Fetterman,    Colonel,    massacre    at 

Fort  Phil  Kearny,  378. 
Flood,  Indian  tradition  of,  291. 
Floyd,    John    B.,    his    report    on 

Mormon  loyalty,  120. 
Fort  Bridger,  tailpiece,  109. 
Fort  John,  98. 
Fort  Laramie,  98,  99. 


Fort  Osage,  3. 

Fort  Phil  Kearny,  massacre,  377. 
Fort  Platte,  101. 
Fort  Vasipiez,  98. 
Fort  William,  98. 
Foy,  of  Mississippi,  90. 
Frazier  and  the  bear,  477. 
Fremont,  Lieutenant  John  C,  95  ; 
portrait  initial,  225. 

Godin,  Antoine,  83. 

Gold,  the  discovery  of  gold  near 
Pikes'  Peak,  211. 

Grand  Island,  .30,  92. 

Great  Salt  Lake,  account  of  its  dis- 
covery, 253 ;  tailpiece,  256. 

Green  River,  71. 

Green  River  Bluffs,  77. 

Green  River  Suck,  72. 

Gros  Ventres,  295. 

Gwinn,  Senator,  163. 

Hairy  Bear,  145. 

Hamilton,  William,  his  death,  46. 
Hand-cart  emigrants,  115. 
Harney,    Brigadier-General  W.   S., 

commands    expedition    to  Utah, 

121. 
Haslam,     Robert,     Pony     Express 

rider,  175. 
Hinman,  Washington  E.,  144. 
Hockaday  and  Liggett's  coach  line, 

212. 
Holliday,  Ben,  operates  the  line  to 

Sacramento,  215. 
Horse  Creek,  73-94. 
Hunt  traps  for  Northwest  Fur  Co.,  3. 

I-e-tan,  chief  of  the  Otoes,  257. 
Independence  Rock,  236. 
Indian  of  to-day,  tailpiece,  134. 
Indians'   attacks  on  mail  coaches, 
219. 

Jackson's  Hole,  90. 
John  Day's  River,  4. 
Johnson's  Creek,  236. 


INDEX 


527 


Jones,    Bon,    4  ;    shoots    a    grizzly 

bear,  13. 
Julfsburt;,    the     sacking    of,    15') ; 

initial,  102. 

Kan.-va.s  Imlian.s,  38. 

Kansas  Kivt-r,  05. 

Kelley,  J.  G.,  Pony  Express  rider, 

172. 
Kimball,  Heber  C,  112. 

La  Hontan,  Baron,  250. 

Laraniio  IVak,  250;  tailpiece,  381. 

Laramie  Plains,  249. 

Laramie's  Fork.  04,  05. 

Latter-day  Saints,  110. 

Le  Brache  Creek,  74. 

Le  Clerc  finds  M'Lellan,  14, 

Lee,  John  1).,  his  confession,  142  ; 

portrait,  135. 
Legend  of  Independence  Rock,  238. 
Lewis    and    Clarke's    expeditions, 

2,  32. 
Lewis,  Meriwether,  initial,  1. 
Little  Cayuse.  the  story  of,  200. 
Long-Knife,  106. 
Long,  Major  Stephen  H.,  90. 
Lost  children,  the  story  of  the,  309. 

M'Lellan  leaves  the  Stuart  party, 
12  ;  is  rescued  bj'  Le  Clerc,  15, 

Mackenzie,  Sir  Alexander,  crosses 
the  continent,  2. 

Macomb,  Major-General  Alexander, 
91. 

Mails,  the  problem  of  the,  163, 

Man  afraid  of  his  Horses,  375. 

Mandans,  the,  32. 

]Map  of  Salt  Lake  Trail,  389. 

Maxwell,  Lucien  B.,  on  the  Platte, 
405. 

Measuring  breadth  of  North  Amer- 
ica, 1. 

Medicine  Bow  Mountains,  249. 

Medicine  Man's  Lodge,  illustration, 
292. 

Medicine,  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
293. 


Merritt,  General  Wesley,  fighting 
against  the  Ciieyennes,  442. 

Miller,  the  trapper,  5. 

Missouri  Fur  Company,  3. 

Moore,  James,  Puny  E.xpress  rider, 
179. 

More,  Joseph,  90. 

Mormon  emigration.  111. 

Mormons,  outfit  when  emigrating, 
112. 

Mountain  Meadows  Massacre,  135. 

Mourning,  a  curious  custom,  300. 

Mud  Hiver,  8. 

Names  of  savage  chiefs  and  their 

meanings,  338. 
Nauvoo  Legion,  the,  123. 
Nez  Percys,  84. 
Ni-ar-gua  and  Do-ran-to,  49. 
No  Knife,  330. 
North  Fork,  93. 
Northwest  Fur  Company,  3. 

O'Fallon's  Bluffs,  tailpiece,  340. 

Ogallalla  Indians,  98. 

Old  Bull  Tail,  107. 

Old  Hatcher's  yarn,  454. 

On  the  trail,  tailpiece,  503. 

Oregon,    seeking    the    sources    of 

the,  2. 
Otoes,  the,  228  ;  occupation  of  the 

mouth  of  the  Platte,  257. 
Ouray,  chief  of  the  Ute  Nation,  330. 
Outfit  of  a  trapper,  98. 

Papillon  Creek,  4. 

Pawnees,  46,  49,  68,  261,  263  ;  sacri- 
fices,  266  ;  folk-lore,  271. 

Peace  commission,  the,  375. 

Pike,  Lieutenant,  33. 

Pike's  Peak,  initial,  211. 

Pilot  Butte,  70. 

Pi-Utes,  their  theories  of  the 
Heavens,  3.')2. 

Place  of  the  Death  Song,  288. 

Platte  River,  described  by  Wash- 
ington Irving,  228. 


528 


INDEX 


Platte     Valley     expeditions,     first 

authentic  account,  4. 
Pony  Bob,  176  ;  tailpiece,  210. 
Pony  Express,  its  history,  164. 
Pony  Express  riders,  170. 

Red  Cloud,  376. 
Rose,  "  Che-ku-kaats,"  59. 
Rose  joins  Williams'  party,  59. 
Rosebud,  the  tight  on  the,  430. 
Russell  and  Jones'  coach  line,  212. 
Russell,  Green,   finds   gold   on   the 

Platte,  226. 
Russell,  Majors,  and  Waddell,  164. 

Salt  Lake  City,  its  foundation,  132. 

Salt  Lake  Trail,  a  description  of  the 
route  by  Colonel  W.  F.  Cody,  389. 

Savage,  Levi,  116. 

Scarred  Arms,  284. 

Scenery  on  the  trail,  231. 

Scott's  Bluffs,  93. 

Shahaka,  "Big  White,"  initial,  32. 

Shoshones,  5,  94. 

Sioux  Indians,  98 ;  their  depreda- 
tions, 152 ;  an  account  of  the 
nation,  278  ;  portrait  of  a  chief, 
278  ;  folk-lore,  281  ;  war  of  1863, 
341. 

Sitting  Bull,  portrait,  434. 

Slade  and  Cody  pursue  horse  thieves, 
192. 

Slade,  Jack,  of  Fort  Kearny,  205. 

Smith,  Jedediah,  255. 

Smith,  Joseph,  111. 

Smith,  Major  Lot,  150. 

Smith,  "Peg  Leg,"  some  account 
of  his  habits,  503. 

Smoky  Hill,  the  original  trail  up 
the,  213. 

Snake  River  deserts,  6. 

Snakes,  the,  17. 

Souk  elopes  with  the  Ogallalla, 
479. 

Spanish  River,  17. 

Sphynx,  the,  Echo  Cailon,  Utah, 
308. 


Spotted  Tail,  339,  341. 

Stage,  the  first,  in  Denver,  212. 

Stansbury's  survey   of  Great   Salt 

Lake,  256. 
Stephens,  Alfred  K.,  90. 
Stuart,    Robert,    4 ;     molested    by 

Crows,    6 ;    loses   his  horses,    9 ; 

prevents  cannibalism,  16  ;  reaches 

North   Fork   of    the    Platte,    20; 

molested      by     Arapahoes,     24 ; 

reaches  Grand  Island,  30. 
Stuttering  Brown,  148. 
Sublette,  Captain  William,  81,  98. 
Sublette,  Milton,  82. 
Susu-Ceicha,  105. 
Sweetwater,  94. 

Tanning  a  hide,  tailpiece,  80. 

Temple,  the  Mormon,  133. 

Tetons,  49. 

Thornburgh,  Major  T.  T.,  the  mas- 
sacre of  his  command  on  the  White 
River,  323. 

Thousand  Mile  Tree,  Weber  Caiion, 
tailpiece,  476. 

Trading-posts,  98. 

Trapper's  bivouac,  453. 

Trapper's  outfit,  98. 

Travois,  illustration,  417. 

Two  Axe,  68 ;  visits  the  President, 
270. 

Two  Strike,  257. 

Union  Pacific  Railroad,  General 
Dodge's  account  of  its  building, 
504. 

Utah,  settlement  of,  110. 

Ute  chief,  initial,  309. 

Utes,  the  different  sections  of  the 
tribe,  323  ;  legends,  335. 

Vallee,  18. 

Van  Vliet,  Captain  Stuart,  123. 

Vapour-bath,    Indian    method     of 

building,  46. 
Vasquez  Louis,  98. 


iM>i:x 


529 


Where  the  desert  meets  the  Cin-at 

Suit  Lake,  tailpifco,  277. 
Wliip.sa\v  and  Little  Cayiise,  2(X). 
Whiskey,  sellinsr  to  Indians,  103. 
Wliitw.ntli,  Hiihard,  ^L^.,  2. 
Wliilwortirs      expedition      to     the 

Missouri  in  1774,  2. 
Williams,   Kzckiel,    3.>  ;    expedition 

10  IMatte  Vall.'y,  ;')2. 
IVilli.ims,  Frank,  his  coach  held  up, 

217. 


Willow  Creek,  80. 
Wind  Hivcr  Moniitains,  nf). 
Winter,  Kebtcca.  her  uravc,  162. 
Wisconsin  ranch  .sacked,  162. 
W.)lf-.\[an,  the  story  of  the,  ;]19. 
Wyv  b,  Nathaniel  J.,  81. 

Yellow     Iland's     .scalp     taken    hy 

Buffalo  Hill,  445. 
Yellow  Lodge,  107. 


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